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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24614317">It Has Been 0 Days Since the Last Incident</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneOfThoseThings/pseuds/OneOfThoseThings'>OneOfThoseThings</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nice Things; Good Things [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A Reckless Mix of Snark and Sincerity, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awesome Donna Noble, Awesome Rose Tyler, Dubious Science, Episode Fix-It: s04e13 Journey's End, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Feelings, Fluff and Humor, Friendship/Love, Implied Sexual Content, Loss of Trust, Minor Metacrisis Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler, Sharing a Bed, Time Lords Are Aliens, Uncanny Valley, lack of boundaries, no beta we die like men</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:35:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>32,966</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24614317</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneOfThoseThings/pseuds/OneOfThoseThings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU in which Donna just lets the metacrisis Doctor and Rose right back into the TARDIS when the Doctor tries to leave them. Because it’s not like a Time Lord mind would make her MORE likely to do what she’s told.<br/>Once that's squared away, they all four get right back to traveling. Just like old times. Sort of. More or less. If one were to squint.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Donna Noble &amp; Rose Tyler, Metacrisis Tenth Doctor &amp; Donna Noble, Tenth Doctor/Donna Noble</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nice Things; Good Things [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1932247</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>158</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>205</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Fix</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Black lives matter. It shouldn't even need saying. But since it apparently does need saying-- there we all are. Just to be clear.<br/>This fic is not about this at all (due to lack of skill, not lack of interest), but if you disagree with the previous statement then this fic is not for you.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I still have yet to work out a beta reader so give a shout if you notice anything crazy. Or just annoying. Like, say, a wildly inconsistent understanding of how adverbs are punctuated. For example.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Having turned his back on Bad Wolf Bay for the last time, the Doctor waited until he heard the TARDIS doors close behind Donna and started the dematerialization sequence. He vaguely registered her walking up to help, letting her flip switches and twist dials, trying not to notice the slight stutter in her movements. Subtle now, but soon… </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was entirely unprepared for the fifth hand that reached past him to adjust the stabilizers. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” He spun to find his own face looking back at him with a stubborn expression much more suited for a certain ginger temp. “What?!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh yeah,” the ginger temp in question drawled, “Looked like you were forgetting something there. Don’t worry; I picked ‘em up for you.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna!!!” He whirled around, nearly falling over when he spotted the blonde standing beside her. “Rose?!?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You were just gonna leave me?” Rose asked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m still going to,” he corrected, reaching for the controls. “You can’t stay here! <em>He</em> can’t stay here!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And why not?” Donna asked, casually ruining his effort with a few choice recalibrations. “She’s from this world. He’s… well, there aren’t exactly rules around whatever he is, are there? And even if there were, who’d enforce them?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He turned to his twin. “There can’t be two of us! <em>You</em> know that!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor shrugged, another eerie echo of his human origins. “There’s no one to question it. We’re the only ones left.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But you― you’re human! You can live out your life. With Rose!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Another shrug. All he was missing was the ginger hair. “Rose wants to stay. And this is my home as much as yours.” He pointedly put his hand on the console and the TARDIS whirred, unconcerned by his sudden ability to be in two places at once.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor turned to the blonde. “You’d never see your mother again! You’d have no life on Earth. You’ve been dead for years in this world.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose straightened up, shoulders set in a hard line. “I’ve told you before― I made my choice a long time ago.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sounds like three votes for, one against. The ‘fors’ have it,” Donna declared, and started showing Rose around the console. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor turned to his half-human counterpart. “Think. You know what I’m going to have to do,” he said, <em>sotto voce</em>. “Do you really want to be here for this?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor frowned, followed his pointed look toward Donna, and returned it with a confused head tilt. “What are you― oh,” he breathed out, as the realization struck, “Ohhh… no…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors looked at each other in an uneven mirror of grim certainty and rising horror. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna cocked her head. “What are you two staring at?” She turned to Rose, smirking, “Lot more staring with you around, have to say.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose blinked and slowly smiled back. “Now that you mention it, there did used to be a lot of staring.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna gave them an exaggerated up-down. “Maybe if they stand very close it’ll be like there’s one grown man between the two of ‘em… Like when you fold paper together.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose laughed. “An origami Doctor?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Origami, that’s the word!” Donna tilted her head. “Strange, I couldn’t remember it for a moment… foment… dormant, movement, fragment, figment― I’m fine!” She sucked in a breath, shaking her head. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna?” Rose gave the Doctors a nervous glance, and realized with a jolt that neither one was looking at her. “Doctor, what is it?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor in brown looked blank and broken, but the Doctor in blue looked outright horrified. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You can’t,” the metacrisis Doctor argued. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor gave him a grim look that was nothing like human. “I can take you back first.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What are you talking about? We’re not going back and you have to help Donna!” Rose offered her arm as a brace. Donna took it with white knuckles. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Honestly, I’m fine, shine, mine, nine, tine, spine― <em>fine</em>!” Donna cut off again, frowning harder. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor was suddenly at her side, steering her toward the jumpseat. “Do you know what’s happening?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sucked in just enough breath to manage a clipped, “Yeah.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There’s never been a Time Lord metacrisis before now. And you know why.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She looked up at him with eyes that were already leaking her life away. “Because there can’t be.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What are you talking about?” Rose cut in. “Doctor, how do we help?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor gave her a fleeting glance, immediately refocused on Donna.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna gasped, jerking back. “I want to stay!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He caught her arms, looking every bit as ominous and inevitable as an oncoming storm. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, don’t! She wants to stay!” The metacrisis Doctor was suddenly there as well, but between them. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor looked at him like he was nothing. An insect shouting at a hurricane. “Enter the sequence. I’ll take you back first.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No!” The metacrisis Doctor and Rose spoke in unison. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You can’t take us back! Just help Donna!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She doesn’t want this,” the Doctor in blue growled. “She’d rather die.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose spun around. “What?!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna grimaced, pressing her face into the back of the blue suit. “I would. Don’t make me go back.” The metacrisis Doctor bent one arm behind himself protectively and she gripped it hard enough to stretch the seams. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor in brown took it in with dark eyes that reflected nothing. “Get out of the way,” he told his counterpart. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No,” the Doctor in blue answered in the same deadly calm tone. “You think it’s mercy, but I have her in my head. To forget all this― It would be worse than death.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Time Lord’s expression somehow hardened further. “Nothing is worse than death.” He lashed out, knocking the Doctor in blue to the side in one violent motion. In the next breath, he caught Donna by the shoulders, impossibly gently. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Look at me.” He ducked his head, features softening. “Donna, look at me.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t make me go back,” she begged. “Doctor, please…” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor looked at her with all the sadness in the universe, but raised his hands.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Doctor, stop!” A much smaller body shoved itself between them with unexpected force. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna stumbled back, doubling over, and his duplicate scrambled to catch her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Rose, let go,” he said, as calmly as any natural disaster. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No!” she gripped his wrists as hard as her little human hands would grip. He realized he couldn’t break the hold without hurting her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>Now</em>, Rose!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No! He said she’d rather die than let you do whatever you’re about to do!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna hissed, dropping to her knees. The metacrisis Doctor went with her, scrabbling his hands over her head like a panicking child. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She’s going to <em>burn</em>,” the Doctor forced out through gritted teeth. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna made a sound that was dangerously close to a sob, curling into his twin. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor’s features twisted, hearts breaking, and then hardened again. “Donna, you can’t ask me to watch you burn!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Who’s asking?” she gasped, sarcastic to the end. A puff of gold smoke came out as she coughed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna!” he twisted out of Rose’s grasp, lurching toward her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Doctor, you can’t!” Rose hit him from behind trying to drag him back. Her boots caught and dragged on the grating, ineffective. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He expected his twin to do what he’d do; counterattack. Go for the legs. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He didn’t expect him to bend forward instead of back, snapping around Donna like a Faraday cage.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No!” He bent down to pry him off, but he couldn’t get a hand in to make contact. His best friend caught fire, the embers igniting through the gaps in his own fingers. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Please!” he begged. “Let me save her!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She doesn’t want that,” his own voice told him, distorted by the rising flames. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s worth it.” Donna’s voice sounded reedy and strangled. “It's better this way.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He hated the sound of it. He hated that this was the last he was going to hear of her voice as he watched himself cower over her while she burned. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The grip around his waist spasmed, but Rose didn’t let go. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna, please,” he begged.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I think you should get back,” she said.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His duplicate shook his head violently. “I won’t leave you.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The glowing in her skin went supernova and everything caught fire. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The catastrophic expulsion knocked the Doctor two meters straight back. It was a minor miracle that he missed the console and a major miracle that Rose was thrown free. His back hit the grating instead of the human, and he had just enough time to register the pain before the screaming started. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Not his screaming, but his voice. Right alongside Donna’s. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The screaming cut off with a second pulse and there was a long moment of absolute silence in which nothing moved. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor dragged himself up onto his arms, looking around for Rose, who was very still, but breathing. He then forced himself to look toward the source.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The two bodies were slumped too closely together to be clearly distinguished, but he could tell that neither one was breathing.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor took one shaky breath in, perilously close to a sob. His hands clenched in his hair and he pulled his knees up, pressing his face into them hard enough to see white. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After another long pause, two human arms wrapped around him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m sorry,” Rose said. “I’m so sorry.”</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ugh,” a low groan sounded and they both froze, looking up. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The tangle of bodies twitched, shifting. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor was immediately on his feet, Rose right beside him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor rolled to the side blinking blearily, and Donna Noble opened her eyes and blinked back. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna!” The Doctor snatched her up, nearly falling over himself. Both selves. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oi,” Donna grumbled as she was dragged into his lap. “What just―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Felt like… regeneration…” the metacrisis Doctor mumbled, holding his own hand up in front of his face. “Only…” He tilted his head around to look at Rose. “…Ginger?” he asked, swiping a hand through his suspiciously familiar hair. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose laughed. “Still just sort of brown.” She pulled the head in question into her own lap. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Partial regeneration,” he summarized for Donna. “Started by you; triggered mine.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, isn’t that wizard,” Donna grumbled around a brown shoulder. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor twisted around, dragging out his sonic and ran two quick scans, ignoring her attempts to swat him away. He read the results, scanned her again, and started laughing a touch hysterically, rocking her further into a hug. “Donna, you’re all right! I can’t believe― You’re all right!!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She squirmed away, just far enough to cuff him. “No thanks to you!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He jerked back, realizing, but she just looked exasperated, not even that much more than usual. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m still mad at you!” she said, unconvincingly. “It’s just hard to focus with all this…” She swayed a little, drunk on regeneration energy. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Has a bit of a kick doesn’t it?” his counterpart chimed in, looking similarly discombobulated. He giggled a bit, tried to sit up, and then got distracted patting Rose’s cheeks upside down. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“OK, <em>what</em> is happening?” Rose piped up.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Partial regeneration,” three voices answered in unison. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna, you regenerated?!” She looked down at the familiar head in her lap. “Wait― I thought you said you were human?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“75/25 split,” the metacrisis Doctor said, and then reconsidered, “Maybe 60/40… Donna, do you feel 25% or 40% Time Lord?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna was busy trying unsuccessfully to sit up on her own. “Right now I feel 40% electric eel.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“60/40,” the metacrisis Doctor summarized, pulling himself into a seated position and looping his arm through Rose’s. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She snuggled in automatically. “So you just… regenerated the rest of the way? And now you’re both good?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Pretty much,” he beamed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I knew there was a reason I kept you around,” Donna said, and they shared an oddly mirrored grin. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor tensed, realizing. “The walls have closed.” He turned to Rose. “You’re both stuck here.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna cuffed him again. “Are you <em>trying</em> to make everyone on this ship mad at you?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Stop hitting me!” he complained. “I said I was sorry!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No you didn’t!” three voices objected.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor scowled, pouting. “Obviously I didn’t <em>want</em> to erase your memories,” he grumbled. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna leaned back, crossing her arms. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It did technically kill you, you know! You don’t just regenerate over harmless headaches!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna hit him again. “That was a rubbish apology.” She turned to Rose. “Do you need a best friend? I’m in the market.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don-na!” the Doctor whined. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She raised an imperious brow. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Can we talk about this later?” he asked, flicking a pointed glance at their audience. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She glared and struggled to her feet. “Fine. But there had better be a much better apology on the way. With new shoes. And chocolate!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He hopped up next to her, holding out a steadying hand. “Shoes. Chocolate. That rubbish perfume you like that gives me a headache. Whatever you want. Where are you going?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She took an unsteady step toward the main corridor. “I’m wiped out. It’s not every day I save the universe, cross-breed a new species, and nearly die five times over. I feel like I could sleep for a week.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor and Rose got up as well, but he was more willing to lean on her shoulder for support. “Oh good, is this worse than usual? I thought maybe this was just what human bodies feel like. Utter rubbish.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Both women scoffed indignantly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well it is!” he whined. “I’ve only had this body for a few hours and I haven’t been this exhausted in centuries. Including the time I went eight months without sleep on that planet that thought lying down was a curse!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">All three Time Lords and hybrids shuddered, and then the Doctors looked at Donna, surprised. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh that’s weird,” she said. “I know what planet you mean…” she trailed off, turning her attention inward.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor gave her a nervous look and ran another scan with the sonic. “But your head’s all right?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She rolled her eyes. “It’ll be a lot better after I get some kip. I’m going to bed. No one wake me!” She turned an accusatory look on the Doctors. “With <em>anything!</em>” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Time Lord squinted at her and the part-human pretended to get very distracted straightening Rose’s hair. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Cool Story: I started writing this as pure fluff, but it was so immeasurably dull that I couldn’t help adding some actual plot. And then the plot got a bit out of hand... and now this is mainly a traveling plot-driven work with weird fluffy interludes and I’m not as sorry about it as I should be.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Brand New/Old Team</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna passed out the moment she hit her bed, blearily singing the praises of the ship who kindly turned off the lights and somehow reassured her that she wouldn’t hear any untoward noises from any other rooms in the night. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Some unknown amount of time later, that was absolutely not anywhere near nine hours, she woke to someone opening and closing her door. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Doctor?” she guessed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her eyes adjusted enough to make out a vaguely blue suit. “Can I sleep in here?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wh―?” she mumbled, and then wedged her hand between her mouth and pillow. “What about Rose?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Rose is still up,” he said, like it was a silly thing to ask. “<em>She</em> didn’t regenerate.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, ‘f course,” Donna mumbled, already half asleep again anyway. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a great deal of rustling and then the bed shifted.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’d better not be naked again,” she warned, but pulled the arm he slung around her closer. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna woke for the second time in absolutely-not-nine-hours to the confusing feeling of the Doctor standing over her while simultaneously snoring next to her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What is it now?” she mumbled, noting that she was somehow once again the big spoon. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Time Lord grumbled, “What’s he doing in here?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Jazzercise." She yawned. "Where’s Rose?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Rose went to bed,” he said.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna squinted at him. “So did you get lost or kicked out for bad behavior or what?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” he asked, still eying his twin and not looking pleased about what he looked like while sleeping. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>Why</em> are you in <em>here</em>?” Donna asked, enunciating through gritted teeth. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You said I could sleep in here after Messaline,” he said, like he had no idea why she was suddenly bringing it up. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sure, but that was before…” She suddenly felt very aware of the arm she had casually slung over his body. Even if it was a different body. She tried to pull it back and was immediately caught in a sleepy vice for her troubles. “Don’t you want to sleep with Rose?” she suggested, casually debating the merits of sawing off her own arm. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She didn’t ask,” he said, like that was all that needed saying. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna considered pointing out that she hadn’t exactly put up a ‘Welcome!’ sign or handed out engraved invitations, but, as usual, she just didn’t have the heart for it. So she sighed and tried unsuccessfully to get his part-human twin to budge up. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t put your cold feet on me,” she reminded, and let him wedge himself into the limited space behind her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You have a lot of arbitrary rules regarding feet and footwear in bed, you know.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not wearing shoes in bed isn’t an arbitrary rule,” she said, wriggling around a bit before resettling. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The next time Donna woke it was, to be fair, much more like nine hours later. But to be even more fair, she’d saved the universe and if that didn’t merit a bit of a lie-in then honestly, what did? </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just get in; I’m not getting up,” she grumbled.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was no response and she realized that there were still two bodies with annoyingly sharp bones digging into her from either side. Which meant…</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Rose?” She managed to lift her head and look around. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The petite blonde was outlined in the doorway, fidgeting. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Um,” she said, “Hi. The TARDIS said everyone was in here…” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This isn’t what it looks like,” Donna immediately assured her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a slightly awkward pause. “So both versions of the Doctor aren’t sleeping in here?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“OK,” Donna admitted, “It’s partially what it looks like. But they’re <em>just</em> sleeping. You might notice we’re all fully dressed.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She tried to subtly nudge one or both into waking up, but all the disturbance did was make them burrow closer. It seemed the metacrisis Doctor had taken after the Doctor in that once asleep, they were both nearly impossible to wake up mid-cycle.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s the body heat,” she said, “They’re like lizards, have you noticed?” The metacrisis Doctor turned in his sleep, trying to shove his face under her chin. She braced a hand between them, but it was like trying to keep a persistent cat off her lap. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fancy a sleepover?” Donna offered. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What, just… pile in?” She couldn’t make out Rose’s expression.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna tried to shrug. “Yeah, well, apparently this is the place to be.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was another long pause, in which time seemed to slow down to a crawl. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna wondered if she was now just experiencing time differently. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The TARDIS hummed a doubtful tone. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose crossed and uncrossed her arms, fiddling. “They didn’t ask me…” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s <em>my</em> room,” Donna reminded her, “And besides, the Doctor is an idiot. You must know that. Really though, we’re just sleeping. No funny business! If I wake up to any suspicious movement everyone’s getting an earful!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose took a step closer. “I mean. It’s not like there’s anyone else to hang out with. If everyone’s going to be in here, I mean.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna nodded. “Pick a side and c’mon in.” She realized, belatedly, that it might not be clear which was which, but before she could decide whether that needed to be explained, Rose pushed her way into the room. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She walked straight up to the bed and got in with the brisk efficiency of someone who did not believe in giving themselves time to overthink. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna was starting to like her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose scooted closer, putting a tentative hand on the metacrisis Doctor’s back and he turned in response, folding over her like a clingy starfish. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hope you weren’t planning on breathing while sleeping,” Donna said, taking advantage of her temporary freedom to reshuffle. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“‘M sure I’ve had enough oxygen for one life,” Rose mumbled, sounding far too content for someone being smothered by a skeleton. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’d really better not wake up in the middle of anything other than sleeping,” Donna warned.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How heavy a sleeper are you?” Rose asked, and she could hear the grin in her voice. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not funny!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Little funny,” Rose argued, sounding a bit less oxygenated, but just as pleased. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m going back to sleep!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor woke to find that Donna had once again established herself as the big spoon. He turned his head to gauge how long he had until she started in with the token grumbling.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna was still asleep, which wasn’t that strange, but he could see the back of his own head behind her, which was still going to take some getting used to. Even more bizarrely, there was a familiar blond head just beyond that.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He craned his neck and could just make out Rose Tyler, cuddled up under his chin.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her eyes were open, blinking up at him.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Rose?” he asked, like there might be some unexpected alternative. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna invited me,” she said quickly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah… she does that…” The Doctor realized he’d contorted himself into a position that wasn’t exactly sustainable and took a moment to turn properly, trying not to make too much movement. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What did I say about non-sleeping activities,” Donna groused, not even bothering to open her eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna!” the Doctor greeted her cheerily, “You’re awake!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor startled at the chipper tone, head bobbing up. “Whu―?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, good, we’re all up.” The Doctor sat up. “You humans really do just sleep your lives away you know.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Blegh,” the metacrisis Doctor said, sitting up as well, “Why does my mouth taste so terrible?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Morning breath,” the longer-term humans answered. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, I don’t like this at all,” he said, smacking. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’ll have to learn to brush your teeth,” Donna told him, dragging herself upright with a groan. “And start taking showers for hygiene instead of as an excuse to play with rubber ducks.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I get why you prefer sleeping,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “Does my room even have a proper shower…?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mine does,” Rose piped up and then turned a bit pinker when everyone looked at her. “…Just sayin’…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors tilted their heads and Donna looked unreasonably entertained. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Right!” The Doctor clapped his hands, startling the lot. “Brand new day; brand new/old team! What’s first? Breakfast?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Shower,” three voices answered. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What, before breakfast?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna rolled her eyes and clapped. “OK, right, everyone out of my room.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No one else is invited to my shower,” she clarified.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors blinked at her and then turned to Rose who turned a bit pink again. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Right,” she said, “I’ll just…” She got up, paused, headed to the door, paused again, and then disappeared down the hall. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors turned back to Donna who just raised a judgmental brow. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s<em> that</em> look for?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She rolled her eyes at the Doctor. “You’re useless, but <em>you</em>,” she turned to the metacrisis Doctor, “You’ve got no excuse.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The part-human Doctor scrunched up his nose. “What does <em>that</em> mean?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sighed. “Never mind. Just get out of here. I gotta get all this Dalek dust outta my hair.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose was the first to reappear, looking neatly put together, if still a bit military around the edges. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m making pancakes!” the Doctor announced.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She smiled. “Let me guess― banana?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Bananas are good for you, Rose! Excellent sources of vitamins.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mmm,” she hummed, leaning her chin on his shoulder while he worked, “Can’t remember the last time I had a proper banana. The ones in the other world never tasted right…” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He blinked down at her, faintly horrified by the suggestion of a life without bananas and she giggled. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s right!” She poked him. “You wanted to leave me in a world without bananas!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He immediately looked away and mumbled, “I didn’t <em>want</em> to leave you…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She waited, wondering what he would possibly say next, but his part-human twin chose that moment to arrive. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Rose!” he greeted, cheerily, and then immediately sniffed. “Are those pancakes?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Banana pancakes,” Rose confirmed, and giggled when he stepped up behind her to check and just happened to pull her into a hug on the way. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t suppose anyone thought to make tea?” Donna asked, by way of announcing herself. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We could make tea!” the metacrisis Doctor said, bundling Rose toward the kettle. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Pancakes are nearly done,” the Doctor said. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh do we just casually have pancakes now?” Donna asked, smirking. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He sniffed, “Well, it’s a bit of a special occasion, admittedly.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mmmhmmm,” she smirked a little wider, but started setting the table. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After breakfast came the first questions. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So,” the Doctor hedged, “Where to, do you think?” He wasn’t sure who to ask so he didn’t look at anyone in particular. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a long pause and then Donna sighed and said, “Chiswick?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose cocked her head, confused, and both Doctors tensed. “What? Why?!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She straightened, raising her chin. “Just assume you want some time alone. It’s fine, really.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor frowned. “What does that mean? Are you on about the bed thing again?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor was more direct. “What if there are after effects from the Metacrisis? Or the regeneration?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He’s right,” Rose piped up, seemingly startling everyone. She pointed toward the Doctor in blue, looking faintly embarrassed to have to specify. “What if something happens? You shouldn’t just leave.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors nodded vigorously. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna squinted, suspicious. “Are you sure? You could just come pick me back up. After…” She made a vague gesture with one hand. “However long…” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You want to go?” the Doctor asked, sounding hollow. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course I don’t <em>want</em> to―“ Donna cut him off, “I’m just saying. You don’t have to keep me here if you want to… catch up… on your own…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor stared at her. “What are you on about?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You should stay,” Rose declared firmly, and then added, “If you want to.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna looked at her, properly surprised. “Really?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose glanced at the Doctor and nodded. “Yeah, of course!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She and Donna exchanged a look that neither Doctor could make heads or tails of, and then Donna slowly nodded. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, all right. Fine,” she said, “If you’re all gonna be so emotional about it.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose grinned, leaning forward. “Y’know, I think I heard the Doctor promise to take you shopping yesterday.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna blinked and then grinned as well. “Y’know, now that you mention it, I <em>do</em> remember something like that being thrown around.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There’s an antigravity market on Vaayu VII,” the metacrisis Doctor suggested, too excitedly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna looked unimpressed. “Yeah, I was thinking more ‘shoes and purses…’” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, it’s not just the market that’s antigravity― it’s the wares,” he explained. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What, like antigravity shoes?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yep,” he popped. “Annnd,” he leaned in to whisper something that made Donna clap a hand to her chest. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Seriously?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He nodded.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Next stop, Vaayu VII,” she declared, jumping up and pulling him along. “Let’s go, Spaceman!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor’s head snapped up. “Hey! Don’t call <em>him</em>―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No time for any of that!” Donna already had the metacrisis Doctor halfway to the door. “We’ve got a market to get to!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose laughed at the look on the Doctor’s face and pulled him out after them. “You heard the lady!” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Antigrav Market</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors had neglected to mention that the market on Vayuu VII both sold antigravity wares <em>and</em> required antigravity boots to navigate. The booths were all suspended in the stratosphere, affixed with panels for pushing off and adjusting angles. There were no walkways or connections beyond what one could work out with the proper use of trajectory. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor hovered easily and Rose took to the boots insultingly quickly, zipping around and bouncing off surfaces like an airborne seal. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna, who was very set in her habits of trying to stay upright with her feet firmly underneath, fumbled around like a giraffe in skates. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor, who was still adjusting to a human body, and who’d apparently gotten Donna’s sense of balance in the exchange, made a similar spectacle of himself. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How are you doing that?” Donna asked, as Rose glided to a neat stop next to her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“One of the worlds I jumped through to had this malfunctioning gravity thing― You get used to it.” She shrugged. “These are easier, really.” She spun in place, and tipped one foot to move closer. “Like Iron Man. But with just the boots, not the gloves. And they’re less like propulsion engines, more like… very strong magnets?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That clears everything up. Thanks,” Donna said, sarcastically. She tried to wedge herself up against a nearby panel, but ended up skipping along it instead. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor zipped in on her other side and caught her before she could careen over the edge. “Here we go! Let’s try it like ice skating.” He held his hands out and she caught his forearms in a bit of a death grip. They skidded forward and then stabilized as he worked out how to balance for both of them. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I just wanted to go shopping. Why isn’t anything ever just one thing with you?” Donna groused, but let him guide her along. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Very few things are just one thing,” he said, and tried to nudge her left ankle into better alignment. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s more fun this way,” Rose laughed and twirled her way over to the struggling Doctor in blue. “And how ‘bout you? Wanna skate?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes, please.” The metacrisis Doctor took almost no coaxing to lean on Rose. “It’s these rubbish human reflexes,” he mumbled, but pulled her a bit closer than was strictly necessary.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know. Everything is so hard,” Rose cooed and then laughed. “Now c’mon, we’ve got antigrav shopping to get to.” </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They managed to maneuver themselves in pairs, and the whole process got a lot less complicated when Donna realized she could just turn around and let the Doctor handle steering if she didn’t mind wearing him like a weirdly chatty suit. Which she did not. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s like that power loader from ‘Alien,’” she said, tugging his sleeve so he’d take them closer to some lovely necklaces. “We should have been doing this the whole time!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor took a quick detour by some power converters, but gamely headed toward the jewelry. “All this time, all you’ve wanted was a hover chair. I’ve shown you the universe, you know!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She leaned back to grin at him and then blinked at something over his shoulder. He turned to see Rose and his doppelgänger happily chatting over trainers. They’d adopted a similar stance, except that metacrisis Doctor was shamelessly hugging Rose from behind, leaning over her shoulder like they might start taking engagement photos at any minute. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sorry,” Donna said, and tried to balance on her own again, “I didn’t think. I’m fine here, if you wanna…” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” The Doctor caught her elbows before she could upend herself. “What are you talking about? I thought this was helping!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She tried to move away and succeeded in partially bracing herself against a nearby rack. “Sure, but… I don’t want to keep you from…” She trailed off, occupying herself with trying to get her feet under her. “Wouldn’t you rather be ‘helping’ Rose?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Rose?” He looked over and back, bewildered. “Rose is fine. She’s better at this than I am.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Listen,” Donna said, “How about you help me over to that booth with the scarves and then you can just come back over here and get your flirt on in peace.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is this because I stopped to look through those stabilizers? You never know when stabilizers might come in handy!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, obviously, it’s not because of the flippin’ stabilizers,” she huffed. “I’m just trying to be a good friend here!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“By getting rid of me??” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, moron, by letting you… you know…” She jerked her chin toward the other couple, now giggling over some jackets. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor spread his hands out, trying to encompass the depth to which he absolutely did not know. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna huffed again. “What, do you want a bleeding picture book? Just go do… whatever it is that you do and you can get me later. I’ll be fine! Really!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you still mad at me? Is that what this is? We’re already out on your apology shopping trip! You can’t be mad at me while I’m taking you shopping!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” Donna squinted at him. “No. Why is that what you jump to?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You keep trying to slough me off,” he said, frowning. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” She made sure he got the full force of her skepticism. “I’m trying to give you the space to… do whatever it is that you do with blondie and you’re miffed I won’t stand there and hold your hand while you’re at it?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He frowned harder. “What’s wrong with holding my hand while I’m talking to Rose? We hold hands while talking to people all the time!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh for― Not literally!” She rolled her eyes. “Listen, I know you and I are mates―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Best mates,” he cut in.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Best mates,” she corrected, “But that doesn’t mean I want to play gooseberry while you get your rocks off with younger, prettier ladies. Just leave me out of that part! It’s not hard!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He frowned again. “Rose isn’t that much younger than you. And you’re both <em>much</em> younger than me.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So. Not. The. Point!” she snapped. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Do you not like Rose?” he asked with the tone of someone completely casting about in the dark. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, Rose is lovely! I get it! I do! But that doesn’t mean I want a front-row seat for whatever passes for a seduction on your weird planet!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He frowned, lost again. “You think I… want you… to watch me… seduce Rose…?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You sure seem to be angling for it!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m not trying to seduce Rose,” he said, baffled. “You know I don’t… do… that.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She rolled her eyes again. “Yeah, yeah, I know you and I don’t do that, but it’s Rose! Remember all that mooning over your lost love? Well, here she is! So go on, get in there, but just― leave me out of it, yeah?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Leave you out of <em>what</em>?!” he asked, exasperated. “Of course I’m glad Rose is back and of course I missed her while she was gone, but I don’t see why that has anything to do with you shoving me away!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?!” Donna’s voice jumped up in volume and she just let it happen. “What kind of― Is this some sick power play? Well, no dice! I may not be twenty-five, but I still have feelings!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What are you― Of course I know you have feelings! You’re always shouting them at me!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna tried to flounce off and was immediately reminded that she was still wearing the stupid antigrav boots which did not allow for any of that. The magnetic relay from her right boot knocked the left one out of alignment and nearly knocked her top over teakettle. The Doctor reached out automatically, hands shooting for her shoulders, but she registered the movement too late and mid-fall.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She remembered the last time he’d reached for her, grim and unstoppable, and flinched away instinctively, cracking her spine against the display and nearly tripping into freefall. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A much smaller hand caught her elbow before she could completely destabilize. Donna snapped her head up to find Rose hovering right next to her, blessedly solid. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You two all right?” Rose asked, blinking wide eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah,” Donna said. And then forced herself to add a clipped, “Thanks.” She couldn’t quite bring herself to look at the Doctor, who was frowning faintly in her peripheral vision. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you’re causing a bit of a scene,” the metacrisis Doctor said mildly, still hooked over Rose’s shoulders.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks for the update,” Donna snapped. She made a concentrated effort to get her boots aligned, looking for the nearest platform. “I’m all shopped out. I’ll head back and see you lot later.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, for― You can barely stay upright!” the Doctor argued.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I can help with that.” All three versions of Time Lord jerked around to stare at Rose, who crossed her arms. “What? I’m the best at this. How ‘bout it, Donna? Wanna swap?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna tried to wave her off. “I’m fine, really. Looks worse than it is. You three have a lot of catching up to do; I don’t want to get in the way.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor made an indignant noise, but she refused to look at him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I could at least help you back to the TARDIS,” Rose offered. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna hesitated, eying the distance to the nearest platform.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Easier than calling a cab,” Rose added, slightly sing-song. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’d certainly be quicker…” Donna hesitated a moment longer, but nodded. “You sure you don’t mind?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nah,” Rose said, jostling the metacrisis Doctor until he released his koala hold, “I could use the stretch.” She rolled her shoulders a bit and grinned at him. “No offense.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He swiveled to the side, clearly not actually as shaky as his hold might have indicated. “If that’s a dig at my height, I’d just like to point out that Donna is also taller than you.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Less likely to smother her,” Donna muttered, holding her hands out. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose caught her forearms in a surprisingly strong grip. “OK, here we go.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Meet you at the electronics exchange?” the metacrisis Doctor suggested, already eying it in the distance. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sure thing,” Rose said, kicking off. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Four hops later, Donna realized she was veering off course slightly. “Er, not to question your navigational skills, but…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, we’re not actually going back to the TARDIS are we?” Rose asked, like she’d never even considered the idea. “I assumed we were just ditching the Doctors to get in some real shopping.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” Donna startled, briefly unbalancing, “But― Don’t you want to get back to the Doctors? Catch up? It’s been years since you, um…” She trailed off, not quite sure what phrase to use.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose shrugged. “Sure, but it’s the Doctor. Not like we’re going to have a heart-to-heart in the middle of the market, is it? He’s more likely to swan off and get distracted looking at a bunch of bolts…” She trailed off and then gave herself a shake. “But you and I could bond a bit! We’re gonna be traveling together, yeah?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna blinked, bewildered. “But― You really don’t have to. I know you must have missed him.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">An odd, vulnerable look passed over Rose’s features so quickly she thought she must have imagined it. “Bit complicated. Him trying to leave me in a parallel world ’n all…” She shook that off, looking at Donna with big puppy-dog eyes. “C’mon, what do you say? Girls day out?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna hesitated, looking for any sign that this was just a polite offer intended to be brushed off, but she found only an earnest sincerity that was obnoxiously convincing. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">No wonder the Doctor was smitten. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, all right.” She was greeted with an enthusiastic grin that was impossible not to return. “What do you think, antigravity lingerie shop?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose grinned wider. “Point the way!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna gestured and they took off again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The lingerie displays weren’t exactly intuitive, but they made up for a lack of obvious logic with sheer volume. Donna spotted some lace and decided to start there, bracing against the display instead of Rose for the moment. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So…” Rose sidled up a bit, casually. “You and the Doctor… are…?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mates,” Donna said, and then added, “Best mates.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose laughed a little. “Like with matching bracelets?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna’s mouth quirked, but she looked up, entirely serious. “Just mates,” she said, firmly, and refused to think about cold fingers reaching for her face. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah,” Rose said, and busied herself with a strappy number.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He talked about you all the time,” Donna said, absently. She then sniffed, adding a dismissive, “Bit pathetic, really. Mooning around like some widowed Victorian on the moors.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose snorted, choking on disbelieving laughter. “The Doctor?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, yeah,” Donna smirked. “You know him. Such a drama queen.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We talking about the same guy?” Rose asked, laughing. “Tall, thin, really great hair?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The hair’s a bit much,” Donna said, offhandedly, “But yeah, that guy. Hold on― are you saying he hasn’t always been this dramatic?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose considered, touching her tongue to the roof of her mouth in an all-too-familiar gesture. “Y’know… Now that you mention it…” She propped her hands on her hips. “He <em>is</em> a bit of a drama queen, isn’t he?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, to be young and in love,” Donna said in a tone too wistful not to be slightly mocking. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose turned a lovely shade of pink. “I’m not that young,” she argued, in the way that only young people argued. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna snorted, not even dignifying that with a response. “Now then, let’s get back to the matter at hand. Figuring out how to pay for all of this. Do you think this is a bartering system?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose shrugged. “Looks like the kind of place that’d take credits.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’d be really helpful if I had credits lying around.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Dunno about lying around, but…” Rose casually produced a credit stick from her pocket. “…I know where the Doctor keeps his.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna whooped, laughing. “Oh, I <em>like </em>you.” She took the proffered stick, turning it over in her hands. “Any idea how much he keeps on it?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He can never remember how money works. So he just maxes ‘em out.” Rose grinned, catching her tongue between her teeth. “Wanna see if we can hit the limit?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna grinned back. “Oh, yes!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Several very necessary purchases and a handful of admittedly less-necessary purchases later, Donna and Rose finally decided they should probably look for the Doctors. If only to recruit help carrying bags. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna pointed toward a rusty outpost-looking pile of junk. “I’ll bet you anything there’s something in there that’s not supposed to be sparking that’s sparking right now.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll take that bet. I think it’ll be on fire by now.” Rose kicked off, gliding them over. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sure enough, both Doctors were inside, babbling over each other about electronics, two of which were sparking and one of which was on fire. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll be honest, I’m proud nothing’s melted,” Donna said, by way of announcing themselves. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna! Rose! Oh good, here―“ The Doctor handed Donna a tangle of wires. “Can you believe it? Sentient wire! This’ll come in handy.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna went ramrod straight as she realized the wires weren’t just settling, they were slowly slithering. “Ohhh, I take back anything nice I’ve ever said about you,” she groaned.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’ll hardly take long,” he scoffed, flitting away again. “Now make sure you don’t hurt them. They’re sensitive.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Doctor,” Donna growled through clenched teeth, “What did we say about you handing me slimy creepy-crawlies?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Those wires are neither slimy nor crawling,” the Doctor sniffed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Did I just see a fang?” Rose asked, peering down at the mess. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Doctor!” Donna barked. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Busy paying, Donna!” the Doctor called, working his way over to the electronic checkout, patting at his pockets. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor skidded around the displays, just barely keeping his balance. “Here, here.” He carefully detangled the wires, pulling them to his chest with one arm like a small pet. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thank you,” Donna enunciated clearly, glaring at the other Doctor. He didn’t notice, busy fishing out a second, slightly darker credit stick and eying it suspiciously. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The wires really are very tame,” the part-human said. “Admittedly, the couplings do look a bit like fangs… now that you mention it…” He held the wires up far too close to his face, turning them over curiously. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Behind him, the original Doctor was examining the credit stick in a similar fashion, holding it up to the scanner. “Could’ve sworn I had this in my other pocket,” he muttered to himself. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna and Rose became very interested watching the duplicate Doctor inspecting the wires. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Huh,” the metacrisis Doctor said, absently, “Why do I feel like I’ve noticed these coupling/fangs before…?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">An alarm went off, followed by flashing lights from seemingly every surface. An announcement sounded over unseen intercoms. “The Doctor has been identified! This is a code blurple! The Doctor has been identified!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“…Ah, yes,” the metacrisis Doctor said, “The antigrav uprising. I <em>knew</em> this felt familiar.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All right!” The Doctor skidded up. “Seems like we’ve overstayed. Who’s up for a quick nip back to the TARDIS? Everyone? Excellent!” He took two of the biggest shopping bags and dragged his twin off by the wrist. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The hasty retreat back to the TARDIS ended with a chaotic tumble around the control room as they found out the hoverboots reacted to the grating the same as any other platform. It took ten minutes to get down.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, I’m gonna be sick,” Donna said, still laughing a little, as she managed to unhook the boots. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Me too…” The Doctor in blue hopped on one foot, finally managing to disengage the other boot with a crash. “Donna, your human sense of balance really is rubbish.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oi!” She threw a boot in his direction. “It’s <em>our</em> sense of balance now!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“As the only full human here, I’d just like to point out that I was better at it than any of you,” Rose said, still hovering easily. “So maybe it’s Time Lords who are rubbish.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Right,” the full Time Lord said, “Boots back on. I’m taking us back for a rematch.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna held a hand out to the metacrisis Doctor. “C'mon, Spaceman, let’s get out of here before we get dragged to an intergalactic skating rink.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Stop calling him that!” the Doctor whined. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She always calls me Spaceman,” the metacrisis Doctor pointed out, putting an arm around her shoulders. “We’re best mates, you know.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Bring it in here, best mate,” Donna said and pulled him into a bear hug. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor bristled. “Stop that!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Rose, you want in on this?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose skidded over. “Don’t mind if I do!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor hit the dematerialization sequence with a little more force than was strictly necessary. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Outpost</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna and Rose took their shopping back to their rooms to sort out their purchases while the Doctors distracted themselves going through the electronics. Which might or might not have been stolen, technically.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna yawned, eying her bed, and couldn’t think of any reason not to have a quick kip. The Doctor might even be able to keep himself occupied following Rose around for a change. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She stretched out and was asleep within minutes. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna woke to the unacceptable sound of the sonic whirring right next to her face. She swatted at it blindly and connected with a bony arm. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, good, you’re up!” the Doctor said, too close and far too loud. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“G’way,” Donna groaned, burying her face in the pillow. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The sonic started up again like an insistent alarm clock. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What have I said about sonic-ing me while I’m sleeping?” Donna grumbled. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’ve never said anything about sonic-ing you while you’re sleeping,” the Doctor said.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Really? That seemed like an oversight. She cracked one eye open to correct it and found the Doctor peering back, too close to even focus. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She startled, blinking the other eye wide open. “What are you <em>doing</em>?!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He frowned faintly, staring with that odd, too-focused look. “Could be an unexpected side-effect,” he said, vaguely. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He carried on talking to himself, “Drowsiness… Fatigue…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She squinted one eye. “…What?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“…Disorientation…?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, for―“ She shoved her face back into the pillow. “I’m not sick; I’m just tired!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a long pause in which she notably did not hear the sounds of a Time Lord getting up to leave her in peace. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She twisted her face to the side to grit out, “Do you <em>need</em> something?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I could use a blood sample,” he said blankly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She yanked her arms under herself. “No! I’m sleeping! Go bug Rose!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She could <em>hear</em> him blink. “Rose isn’t exhibiting any strange symptoms.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna shoved her face further into the pillow with an exasperated groan. “Neither am I! I’m just tired!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Another pause, still pointedly devoid of the sounds of departure. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna wrenched her head to the side to glare. “What?!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m bored,” he whined. “You spent all day shopping and left me with just myself for company. And <em>after</em> I apologized!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You never did,” Donna pointed out. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You didn’t apologize.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He scoffed, “Is this all we’re ever going to talk about now?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>You’re</em> the one bringing it up!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Because you’re clearly shutting me out over it!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“First of all, I am <em>not</em>! But you know what― I <em>should</em> be!” She shoved herself up onto her arms. “You tried to kill me! Thanks for the reminder!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I did <em>not</em>!” he snapped. “I was trying to save you! To keep you <em>from</em> dying!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And I told you not to do it! <em>Begged</em> you, actually!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor looked at her and then looked away. “I thought you were going to die. I just wanted to keep you safe. Even if… even if it would’ve meant never seeing you again.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She hated the part of her that clenched sympathetically at the pathetic portrait he cut. “It wasn’t up to you,” she said. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s always up to me,” he said, looking ancient. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The sympathetic clench in her gut twisted, turning sharp and sour. “We’re talking about <em>my</em> life,” she said. “You can’t talk that way about <em>my</em> life.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor looked at her with eyes that couldn’t be less human. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a tentative rap at the door followed by the Doctor’s double calling, “Everything all right in here?” He barged in without waiting for an answer. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, fine,” Donna said, scrubbing a hand over her face. “Can’t a girl get five minutes alone around here?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s been nearly four hours,” the duplicate Doctor said in a carefully neutral tone. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah,” Donna said, “Well.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Right then,” the Doctor said, too loudly, rolling to his feet, “Suppose you humans all want to be fed again.” His own stomach rumbled and he coughed. “I believe pastries were purchased.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not to be all ‘we should probably eat real food at some point,’ but we should probably eat real food at some point,” Rose suggested. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Pastries are real food!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna ignored him, pointedly talking to Rose. “What do you think of dinner out? Somewhere with humans so they don’t try to feed us anything that’s still moving.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Humans eat plenty of things that are still moving,” the Doctor pointed out. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She gave him a dubious glance out of the corner of her eye. “I’ll drive.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They very nearly made it all the way through a meal that mostly resembled 21st Century Indian cuisine (if one overlooked the tentacles). Just as they were beginning to debate dessert, the lovely Terran outpost started rumbling in a way that a synthetic colony had no reason to rumble. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Both Doctors looked inappropriately excited. The Time Lord slapped some currency down on the table ―likely not even remotely correct― and pulled everyone outside. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors spotted a very official looking relay tower and started scrambling up it, while Donna and Rose decided to take a more radical approach and actually ask the many locals if they happened to know what was going on. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A handful of helpful conversations later, they knew that the entire planet had been built as an early frontier project and had a handy map of the access vents leading to the operational levels. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It took another twenty minutes to re-find the Doctors who had climbed up an even higher tower and apparently left hearing range. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Doctor!” Rose shouted, with no effect. She turned to Donna, shrugging, “I think we’re gonna have to climb.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The hell we will.” Donna took a deep breath and bellowed, “Doc-tor!!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Every animal in sight scurried for cover. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A moment later, a brown head appeared over the edge of the topmost railing. It took another moment to realize his mouth was moving, but no sound was making it down. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We can’t hear you!” Donna shouted.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor became noticeably more agitated, gesturing wildly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna shook her head, pointing at her ears with both hands. “We. Can’t. Hear. You!” She shouted, enunciating each word. “Just come down!” She made an exaggerated sweeping gesture with both arms. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A second brown head appeared, completely indistinguishable at this distance. Both began gesturing wildly, mirroring Donna’s beckoning in reverse. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not bloody likely,” Donna muttered to herself and took another deep lungful of air. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose sucked in a startled breath and something hit Donna from behind.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna was having a very strange dream about a golden retriever that wouldn’t stop barking at her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You <em>need</em> to wake up now,” a voice intruded into Donna’s dream at a cadence that matched the barking. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How’d you do that?” Donna asked, but the dog just barked louder. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don-na!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” she asked, genuinely curious to know what a dog would have to say to her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wake up!” it barked. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“…What?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don-na! Wake <em>up</em>!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Whu―“ She blinked her eyes open and was dismayed to find that not only did she not have a talking dog; she seemed to be locked in a cell. “Oh,” she said, “Well, isn’t this wizard.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh thank God.” Rose was propped up across from her, looking insultingly alert. “You really don’t want to stay unconscious much longer, trust me.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Great tip, thanks,” Donna groaned, realizing that her wrists and ankles were caught in some sort of zip tie. “Oi, what’s this? No budget for proper handcuffs? What kind of two-bit kidnapping is this?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t think they planned it,” Rose said, looking around and leaning in. “They just took us because we were the <em>only ones</em> near the tower.” She stared, hard, willing Donna to take the hint. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna squinted, one eye closing a bit more than the other, but nodded. “Right. We really should get our meddling under control.” She looked around, taking in the mismatched collection of technology, cobbled together like a rush job but collecting dust and rust.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“My head is killing me,” she grumbled. “Why do you look as chipper as ever? How long have you been up?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose shrugged. “They didn’t knock me out. Two tried, but I got ‘em.” She grinned and looked a bit wild, like a wolf. “Woulda got a third one too, but his buddy got to you first.” She leaned her head back and called, “Think we’ll have another round anytime soon? I’m feeling much more rested!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna laughed. “Oh, good lord, I thought you were the sane one.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose grinned back. “I worked for Torchwood in the parallel world. Have I said?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fantastic,” Donna drawled, “Don’t suppose you know how to get out of zip ties…?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hard to slip, zip ties,” Rose said and then crouched down over her bound feet. “Which is why I learned to keep a spare knife in my boot.” She wriggled a bit and then winked, straightening her shoulders ever-so-slightly. “How would you feel about a run?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna smiled, “You know… I feel better about it than I usually would.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In one quick move, Rose cut through the ties on her wrists and ankles. In a matter of seconds, she had Donna free as well. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They turned to the door. “Any chance there’s a lock-pick in with that knife?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, but, I have something just as good.” Rose indicated her boot and leaned back to kick. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hold your horses, GI Jane.” Donna stepped up and tapped the space next to the hinges. “Try here― usually the weakest part of this type of door.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Big into doors, are ya?” Rose asked, but kicked the indicated spot. The mechanism failed and it creaked free immediately. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“They use these types of doors in file rooms,” Donna said. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How many file rooms have you been locked in?” Rose asked, a little impressed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh you know,” Donna said vaguely, “Office romances. Bit of a mixed bag.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Twenty minutes later, they were beginning to suspect that they’d not been ‘kidnapped’ so much as ‘swept under the rug.’ No one came after them, and security seemed non-existent. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is it just me or does it feel like whoever caught us really had no idea what phase two of that plan should be?” Rose mused, idly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I think they might just be glad to skip the paperwork,” Donna agreed. “This looks more like an office building than a military installation.” She indicated the cheerily bland instructional posters lining the hallways. Reminders about gloves and masks weren’t typical decor for any military base she’d ever seen. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They wandered through two oddly curved floors before they ran into their first live person. Rose had them up against the wall before Donna had really registered the door opening next to them. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Who are you? Why are you here?” Rose asked. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m Greg; I work in the lab,” he answered, immediately. “I’m a technician. Who are <em>you</em>?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Health and Safety,” Donna said and subtly pried Rose off. “Shouldn’t you be wearing a mask?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He jerked a hand up to his face, “I’m just doing reports today. No active chemicals.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is that the rule now? Masks are mandatory at all times except when doing paperwork?” Donna wondered out loud. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll go back in and get it,” he promised quickly. “Please don’t write me up.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You know,” Donna said, contemplatively, “We’re a bit behind today. I’m not really in the mood for write-ups… So much paperwork…” She made a face and turned to Rose. “It’d be a much better use of our time to recruit a guide with in-depth knowledge of the layout, don’t you think?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose nodded, smiling like she hadn’t casually had her knee in his back a moment ago. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I can do that!” Greg said quickly. “Orientation gets a little dicey this close to the core.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The women nodded like they had any idea what that meant. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is there access to the core from this floor?” Donna asked casually. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Greg shook his head, “You have to go down a few more levels.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She held out a hand. “Lead the way.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">For a man who didn’t seem to think it was strange to be shoved up against a wall by Health and Safety, Greg was surprisingly helpful. Within twenty minutes they had a vague layout of the structure and Donna seemed to understand how the whole thing was held together. The maintenance access descended in a slow spiral, floor by floor for some reason having to do with oxygenation levels that Rose didn’t quite follow. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">While Donna subtly disabled the third security panel in fifteen feet, Rose took the opportunity to ask, “How’s the security around here? Seems… comprehensive for a maintenance crew…?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, we’re the first line of defense,” he said, clearly parroting a line from training.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, I know, but… Just between us. How much interaction do you have with the security team?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shrugged. “They come through the labs every once in a while, but mostly they stick to the upper floors.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why’s that?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He blinked at her. “Because of the radiation.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The door slid open just as Donna turned and said, “The what now?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A wave of heat flooded the hallway and the floor seemed to swoop under their feet. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Greg gasped, “Are you <em>human</em>?!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna slammed her hand into the panel and the door shut, cutting off the source, but not the effect. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose nearly went to her knees and Donna braced against the wall with a thud. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re human!” Greg said. “You can’t be Health and Safety!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Aw, Greg,” Rose groaned, “I was really starting to like you.” She managed a sharp uppercut, knocking him out cold.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Honestly,” Donna grumbled, “What sort of alien is named '<em>Greg</em>?'” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose took a minute to fight off the black spots swimming in her vision. “Do you think you can walk?” she asked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna had sunk down to a seated position with her head between her knees, but she forced herself back up. “Don’t think we have much of a choice. Time to play ‘Find the Alien.’” She glanced at Greg and corrected, “The other alien.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They stumbled back the way they came.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Outpost (Part 2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors were not pleased. They’d gotten just enough information out of the tower data banks to realize that the seemingly solid ground was about to become a lot less solid if they couldn’t stabilize the core system. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before they could get any further into diagnostics, Donna shouted a cohort of guards into capturing their companions. Rose put up a fight, but had to stop when one of them thought to use Donna as leverage. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">By the time the Doctors reached the surface there were no humans and no guards and no helpful signs pointing them to any evil bases.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So they had to go hunting for information. By speaking to people. And with no humans to guide the conversation, they kept getting distracted. So it took a fair couple of hours for them to even find the maintenance access.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">By the time they made it a dozen levels in, the Time Lord realized that the radiation levels were climbing far too quickly for any natural phenomenon. Twenty levels down and they were approaching toxic levels for humans.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor eyed his duplicate. “Exactly how human are you again?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“40%,” he answered. “And before you ask, no, I <em>haven’t</em> had a chance to test whether that 40% includes susceptibility to radiation poisoning.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Time Lord tasted the air and wrinkled his nose. “I think you should wait here. Or better yet, two levels up.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I can’t just wait!” the metacrisis Doctor scoffed. “Rose and Donna are both more human than I am and they’re―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We don’t know that!” the Doctor in brown cut him off. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, sure, maybe they talked their way out of that knocked-unconscious-by-guards thing and just swanned off for after-dinner tea.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Excellent theory. You go check the tea shops. I’m going to head down. <em>Alone.</em>”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You make a compelling case, but have you considered…“ The Doctor in blue faked left, dodged right, and took off down the hall at full speed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Get back here!” The Doctor in brown ran off after him.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Time Lord didn’t catch his duplicate for three levels and then it was only because he nearly tripped over Donna. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna!” The Doctors crouched down immediately, sonics whirring. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oi.” Donna batted them away and pointed down the hall. “Whichever one of you is less human, go get Rose.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor in brown scrambled around the corner and reappeared with the blonde in his arms. He caught his duplicate’s eye, tilting his head toward Donna. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t even try it,” Donna warned the metacrisis Doctor, struggling to her feet, but leaning heavily on the arm wrapped around his shoulders. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose had no compunctions about looping her arms around the Doctor’s shoulders and focusing on not passing out. “Any chance you found a lift?” she asked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Time Lords don’t need lifts,” he scoffed, but pulled his counterpart by the hand more cautiously than he might under normal circumstances. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Time Lord hybrids perked up significantly the further they got from the core. The metacrisis Doctor shook off the immediate effects two floors up, and Donna was back to griping one floor after that. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor led them up four more levels to be safe and then unceremoniously shoved the whole group into a random office. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Human check! How are we all doing?” He scanned Rose, frowned at the results; scanned Donna and frowned harder. “Not great…” He scanned the metacrisis Doctor and groaned out loud. “OK, everyone take these.” He handed out very large tablets and glasses of water. “What have I told you all about getting yourselves irradiated?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Little hard to remember right now…” Donna said, leaning her head back against the wall to swallow. “…You said it was fine, right?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Good and good for ya?” Rose guessed, trying Donna’s earlier head-between-the-knees position. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What were you doing down there?” the Doctor chided, ignoring their sarcastic responses. “Couldn’t help but notice a distinct lack of guards. Implying you made your way down by choice!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How were we supposed to know that thing was leaking radiation? Humans don’t come with Geiger counters!” Donna griped. “This is all Greg’s fault…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Freaking Greg,” Rose echoed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Who <em>the hell</em> is Greg?” the Doctor asked. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“An idiot,” Rose and Donna answered in unison. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“OK!” The Doctor clapped a hand to his head and took a deep breath in and out. “Actual plan now. I’m going to go down and get this thing stabilized. Everyone with even a single strand of human DNA is staying here or heading back to the TARDIS. Good plan?” Three mouths opened so he carried on quickly. “Great plan! All right― back in ten. Twenty, tops.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oi!” Donna shouted, “You don’t even know what the thing is!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes, well, I’m sure I’ll work that out.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“As well-thought-through as that sounds, <em>I</em> already know,” she pointed out. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What? How?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Greg,” the women answered. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Do humans hallucinate people named Greg when irradiated?” the metacrisis Doctor asked casually. “Seems oddly specific.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Greg is the idiot alien who works in the lab and showed us the way to the core before realizing we were human!” Donna snapped, like there was any possible way for them to guess that. “He also explained how it works. To us. So.” She pushed off the wall, straightening up. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ohhh, no,” the Doctor said, “You can just tell me what you found out.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There were charts,” Rose said, “And a 3D model.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not the sort of thing you can just ‘tell’ someone,” Donna summarized smugly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, just visualize it and I can―“ he held his hands up, moving toward her, and she realized belatedly that he was reaching for her temples.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna flinched back, entirely off-guard, and nearly fell over the Doctor’s startled twin. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a long, awkward pause, as everyone realized what had happened. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor jerked his hands down and crossed them under his arms. “I was just going to―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sorry, I thought―“ Donna realized she’d ducked behind the metacrisis Doctor without realizing and forced her hand to let go of his sleeve. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor in blue subtly looped her arm through his, trying not to look at his counterpart. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor in brown seemed determined not to look anywhere in particular. “Right,” he said, finally, “On second thought, I’ll just...“ He jerked his head toward the door. “See where this all-knowing Greg has gotten off to.” He took three steps back and slipped out without another word.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a much longer, somehow even more awkward pause after he left. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After a few minutes the remaining, part-human Doctor carefully looked down at her. “Donna… he wouldn’t…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know!” she cut him off, but ducked her head into his shoulder. “I know,” she repeated, slightly muffled. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose looked up from her crouched position with wide sympathetic eyes. “I really don’t think he’d―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know!” Donna cut her off too. She took a deep breath and straightened up, moving away. “Ok, that’s enough of that,” she said briskly. “Let’s go get some hazmat suits and get back down there.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“…You sure you’re all right?” the human Doctor asked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course I am!” Donna said and gave herself a brisk shake. “But I’ll be a lot better once this stupid planet isn’t leaking radiation.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose got up and gave herself a similar shake. “Think I saw a door that looked more solid than the others, just down this hall. If it’s a lab they might have suits.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The human Doctor put his hands on his hips. “Have any of my companions ever even pretended to listen when I tell them to stay put?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose and Donna exchanged looks, pointing at themselves, shaking heads and pointing at each other. They turned to the human Doctor with an unanimous, “Probably not, no.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He huffed, but followed them out. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor made much faster progress without any humans to worry about. The roentgen radiation barely tickled. Honestly, humans were a bit fragile when it came down to it. A dozen millisieverts and they’d start breaking down like wet candy floss. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">One minor misstep and they’d flinch away from every little gesture like an abused child. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He ran faster. No need to pace himself. It was just him after all. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He started noticing access panels that had already been tampered with― clearly Donna’s work― and figured he was getting closer. At the third panel, there was an odd collection of scuff marks and the lingering sour scent of human adrenaline. He switched the door open and was immediately washed with a good hundred millisieverts of radiation. He was willing to bet this was where they’d turned back. Hopefully immediately.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Not being human, and being made of something significantly stronger than candy floss, the Doctor quietly absorbed the extra radiation and carried on, carefully shutting the panel behind himself. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He marked the levels as well over three hundred millisieverts by the time he found the central controls. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Annoyingly, Donna was right; a schematic would probably have been very helpful. The design didn’t follow any standard conventions. He suspected it was a rush job by people who’d thought they’d have more time. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He took a deep breath, absorbing another wave, and started running basic diagnostics with the sonic. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">An hour later, he couldn’t tell whether he’d made any progress. The odd, blocky configuration seemed to be on a loop that reset at random intervals, taking him back to the baseline no matter what he did. The radiation levels were hiking up exponentially and if they kept at it, even he’d need fresh air eventually. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He nearly jumped out of his skin when a large rubbery hand came down on his shoulder. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He jerked around to find Donna, Rose, and his duplicate in hazmat suits, exactly where he’d told them not to be. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You can’t be here!” he insisted. “Those suits will cap out and these levels are already high enough to fry a human.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It took him a moment to realize Donna’s mouth was moving but no sound was making it out. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He frowned, looking at the others, and realized they were also speaking. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I can’t hear you,” he said. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna kept speaking. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna,” he enunciated clearly, “I can’t hear you.” He gestured to his own ears, shaking his head and holding his hands over them. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna frowned and clearly mouthed, 'Why not?'</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He threw out his arms. “How should I know?!” And then actually thought about it. “Microphones,” he mouthed, gesturing to his own mouth and then hers. “The suits must have internal comms.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She glared, 'What?!'</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He rolled his eyes and tried to mouth as clearly as possible. “Mi-cro-phones!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She squinted one eye at him and then just made a vague shooing gesture instead. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You can’t do anything with that ridiculous suit on,” he argued, but let her crowd in next to the terminal. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She immediately realized how awkward it was to type in a hazmat suit, but adjusted more quickly than she should have been able to. He couldn’t follow the commands around the bulky gloves, but the directory pulled up on screen. She found her way through to the primary settings. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Enjoy that while it lasts,” he said. “It’ll be gone the next time the system resets.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She glanced over, saying something, and typed an additional command in. The settings locked, skipping the cyclical reset. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How’d you do <em>that</em>?” He tried to see around the gloves and immediately gave up. “Never mind, let me―“ He got back into the system, running through settings, until he hit an incomprehensible algorithm, using that ad hoc local logic. He gestured indignantly, turning to Donna.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She rolled her eyes, pushing him back out of the way, and somehow updated the algorithm to a more universal format that he could actually make sense of. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh that is brilliant! You are <em>brilliant</em>!” He moved her back out of the way, adjusting the now coherent formulas. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Three more cycles like that and the radiation levels started dropping. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It worked!” he shouted, and spun her in an awkward, puffy circle. “Ohh, this is perfect…” He started clicking through systems, cleaning up subroutines. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There now,” he said, turning to the humans in suits. “You lot clear out, I’ll clean up the excess and follow you.” He shooed them toward the access tunnel. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">All three suits crossed their arms and didn’t budge. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh for―“ He turned to his duplicate, mouthing exaggeratedly, “I have to absorb the radiation as we go or we’ll flood the lower floors.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His double squinted at him and mumbled something to the other two. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Still no movement. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor tried again. “I…” He gestured to himself. “Ab-sorb…” He made a sweeping gesture, like gathering the air closer. “Rad-i-a-tion.” He gestured broadly at the surrounding area. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His duplicate squinted again and then visibly got it, chattering away in his suit. The other two turned toward him and then back toward the Doctor, also chattering. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is a fascinating debate, but you really have to go.” He decided Rose would probably be the easiest to move and started trying to angle her toward the door, pointing. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She hopped around, waving a bulky gloved finger in his face, but begrudgingly started off toward the door. Donna and his Duplicate followed, still chattering on mute. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor waited until he heard the hydraulics of the door and took a deep breath in. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was slow progress up to the safer levels, and the humans kept waiting by the doors for him like a gang of judgmental marshmallows. Four floors from safety, Rose tried to take off her helmet and he had to nearly jump on her to keep her from doing it. That resulted in a long delay of muted fussing and fruitless miming, but they did eventually get up to a level that he could safely clear. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All clear,” he enunciated, and yanked his duplicate’s helmet off to illustrate.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey!” the metacrisis Doctor griped, “Don’t get grabby!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna and Rose immediately popped their own helmets. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Bleh,” Rose said, “I will not be adding hazmat suits to my holiday wishlist.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No one told you to put one on today!” the Doctor pointed out, realizing they could once again hear his objections. “What were you all thinking?! I told you to stay here!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“If we’d done that, you’d still be down there locked out of the first line of security,” Donna pointed out, intolerably smug.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, I couldn’t find your buddy Greg. It looks like <em>someone</em> might have knocked him out. And I guess he just wasn’t feeling all that friendly after that!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, whatever, just admit it. You needed help. We helped.” Donna sloughed off the rest of her suit and crossed her arms. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He decided to try his duplicate. “Why didn’t <em>you</em> stop them? Are those human genes just hardwired not to listen?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His duplicate shrugged, fluffing his hair. “You needed that information. And besides, what was I going to do, tie them to chairs? You know Rose has been working at Torchwood. And Donna bites!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh I wouldn’t bite you,” Donna cooed, “You’re my favorite Doctor!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna!” the original Doctor cut back in, “You could have all died!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna scoffed, “So could you! You have a higher tolerance, sure, but it’s not infinite! Time Lord mind, remember!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor had started hopping around on one foot, losing some of his limited intimidation factor already. Another few hops and he yanked off his left shoe, throwing it into a hazard bin. After a slight hesitation, he took off the right one, tossing it in as well. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He immediately stalked off. “Everybody back to the TARDIS! Now!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, pfft, where were we gonna go, Disney World?” Donna headed after him at a pointedly unhurried clip. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor stopped just outside of the TARDIS, catching a sharp mental warning. He turned to the human and human-hybrids. “OK, quick pat down to get the remaining radiation off before we go in.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” Donna stepped back. “Why?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, I’m sorry, are you enjoying the feeling of rapidly increasing cellular decay? The TARDIS doesn’t like radioactive contaminants in the control room. It’s hell to get out of the grating. And you lot track it around everywhere.” He started with Rose, who was closest, and generally more tolerant of touching. He swiped his hands down her arms and legs and pulled her into a hug so he could get to her back. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Also because he wanted a hug. He wasn’t made of stone. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose giggled, hugging him right back. “Better than a decontamination shower, have to say.” If the long-fingered hands lingered in her hair a little, she certainly wasn’t complaining. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I haven’t forgotten that you weren’t any better about following the ‘don’t wander off’ rule,” he warned, and then completely ruined the effect by lifting her off her feet with a particularly enthusiastic squeeze. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He set her down and pulled back to swipe his fingers over her face like he was brushing off a layer of dust. “Ok, let’s have a look…” His eyes shifted focus, considering. “Oh, that’s no good. You breathed it in! Let me see― say ‘ahhh.’”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose opened her mouth, laughing a little, “Ahhhhh.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He peered around, tickling her nose with his hair. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t put your fingers in there,” his duplicate reminded him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Course not.” The Doctor put one hand on her shoulder and used the other to tip her chin up slightly. “Quick swipe should do it. Rose, do you mind?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nah,” she said, as agreeable as ever. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll breath in, you breath out. Deep breath now.” The Doctor straightened up and then ducked down, sealing his mouth over hers.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose squeaked, tensing, and he pulled back to remind her, “You have to breathe out.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sucked in a quick breath and then obediently exhaled, tasting faintly of synthetic berries. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was tempting to give it a little longer… but, oh, right, he was in the middle of something. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor pulled back, grinning. “There now! That should do it!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose blinked at him, not moving. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Did I miss some?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Um,” Rose said, blinking. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh for―“ Donna stepped around, moving for the door. “Outta the way, martian, I have an appointment with the medical bay.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hang on! Your turn, I know.” He caught her before she could get around him and started a brisk sweep. She made it much more difficult, swatting his hands and jumping around. “You could try holding still,” he hinted, “Just for a change of pace.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oi! Hands! What have we said about hands!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re covered in radioactive particles. Surely this is an exception case,” he reasoned, briskly clearing her legs and dodging a knee to the face for his troubles. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Really not the worst decontamination protocol I’ve had to put up with,” Rose chimed in, supportively.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“For crying out loud...“ Donna huffed, but didn’t fight the hug as much, apparently less fussy about hands on her back. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor stroked his hands over her hair, taking just a moment to appreciate the ginger coloring that she didn’t usually let him touch. Before she remembered to get impatient, he pulled back to pass his hands over her face as well, brushing lightly. He kept his fingers away from her temples, carefully using his palms for that part. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The skin over her cheekbones was a bit warm and pink, but he didn’t detect any higher levels of contact with a second stroke of his thumbs. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Last step. Deep breath in then out,” he said, and caught her mouth with his.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna went very stiff, hands fisting in his sleeves, and she sucked in a breath, holding it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He pulled back to remind her, “You have to breathe <em>out</em>. Other way!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sucked in more air, contrarily, but exhaled when he tried gently massaging the back of her neck with one hand. She tasted like ginger, the irony of which was not lost on him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After another beat, she shoved him back. “What are you― You can’t just―“ She spun around, hunting for her key, and grumbling to herself. “What’s <em>wrong</em> with you?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She won’t let you in until we’re all clear,” the Doctor told her, moving to his twin. “If you’d like to see what holding still looks like, feel free to follow this tutorial.” Probably should have started with the tutorial, but it’s not like they were going to pay attention either way. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He turned to his duplicate, who stepped up without hesitation and let himself be patted down without fuss. It was basically the same as brushing off his own arms and legs, with just a few odd angles. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We really are slim,” the Doctor commented idly, realizing he could nearly wrap his hands all the way around one thigh. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It works with the ‘foxy,’” the metacrisis Doctor said, winking at Rose. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor patted him down and then kissed him as well. The metacrisis Doctor exhaled steadily without needing prompting. Handy to work with someone who knew the drill. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They turned to head inside and found Rose and Donna staring. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Your key should work now,” the Doctor said, concentrating on working the remaining radiation down to his cufflinks.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna blinked at him, not moving. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you all right?” he asked, pulling his left cuff around. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna started, fumbling her key into the lock and yanking the doors open. She disappeared inside with a grumbled, “Barmy alien!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor looked at Rose, but she just turned two shades pinker and ducked in after her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s wrong with the humans?” he asked his duplicate. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How should I know? I’m only 40%.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. An Unfortunate Realization</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After the decontamination showers and a lengthy debate about whether all clothing should be disposed of or just thoroughly cleaned, the group reconvened in the galley for a second round of oral tablets and a dose of tannins. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor took on the tea-making duties, lecturing the humans while they waited. “OK, once more― you have to let me know right away if you experience nausea, vomiting, fever, hair loss…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Headache, dizziness, disorientation…” Rose continued, sneaking a biscuit. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A thirst for blood, the compulsion to howl at the moon― oh wait! I’m thinking of turning into a werewolf. Silly me.” Donna snagged a biscuit as well. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What if our heads start spinning 360 degrees around?” the duplicate Doctor chimed in. “Should we call you in that scenario or just let it play out?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Keep this up and you’re all getting medical tracking implants,” the Doctor warned. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna stood up with a stretch. “Well, as much fun as this has been, I think I’m about ready to turn in.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Already?!” the Doctor whined. “You <em>just</em> woke up!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A good eighteen hours ago,” Donna corrected.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But I’m not tired at all!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No one said <em>you</em> had to sleep,” Donna reminded him.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What is it with you wanting to wander off on your own right after nearly dying lately?” the Doctor wondered. “It’s a terrible survival instinct.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna huffed, adding a tense, sing-song, “I’m too tired for this argument.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We could just…” Rose started and cut off as the other three looked at her. She cleared her throat and continued, “Have another sleepover? My room this time?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Brilliant idea, Rose,” the duplicate Doctor beamed. “Love a sleepover.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She grinned back at him, catching her tongue between her teeth. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, I’m really fine if you two, or three, or whatever want to…” Donna gestured vaguely.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The duplicate Doctor frowned at her. “Do you not like Rose’s room? Have you even seen it?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She gave him a level-eyed look. “I’m sure Rose’s room is very nice. But you don’t need me there, taking up space.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The original Doctor chimed in, “I’m sure the TARDIS could expand the bed. She’s great at that sort of thing. Actually harder to keep her from doing it…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, that’s not―“ Donna took a deep breath, breathing it out slowly.“Listen. I’m sure Rose’s bed is fantastic. Have so much fun testing it out.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna,” the duplicate Doctor whined.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It really is big enough,” Rose piped up with an earnest look. “C’mon, it’ll be fun!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is ridiculous! Fine! Let’s all go to Rose’s room!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Brilliant!” The duplicate Doctor hopped up, pulling Rose with him. “Bagsy the middle!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor disappeared off to wherever he went while not sleeping and the trio assembled in Rose’s room, after a quick change into pajamas and a less-quick reminder about tooth-brushing for the newly initiated. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor hopped right into the middle, making himself at home in his striped pajamas. “My mouth is all tingly,” he announced. “Donna, look!” He opened it wide like a crocodile, running his tongue over the canines. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Amazing,” Donna deadpanned, getting in on the left side. “You’re a real natural.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So clean!” Rose giggled, sliding in on the other side. “I can practically see my reflection.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He grinned at her. “I used Donna’s toothpaste. It’s very minty.” He leaned over and kissed Rose quickly to illustrate. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She grinned, looking wolfish again. “You’re right! Very minty!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“OK, this feels like my cue,” Donna tried to sit up and was immediately pulled back down. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The other one had a go!” the Doctor whined. “It’s my <em>turn</em>!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Listen, I don’t know what’s wrong with any of you, but I don’t need to be here while you two figure it out!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, c’mon,” the Doctor argued, “It’s just a little goodnight kiss! Here, I’ll give you one too―“ He leaned over, laughing, and Donna tried to squirm out of the way. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why is everyone on this ship a lunatic?” Donna shrieked, but started laughing as well. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s a prerequisite,” the metacrisis Doctor chuckled, pulling her arm around his torso. “What sort of sane person would agree to travel around in a time-traveling box?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, God,” Donna groaned, “You have a point.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Try not to think about it,” Rose suggested, snuggling in happily. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So helpful. Really.” Donna considered putting up more of a fuss, but she really was tired. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna’s lovely dream about a pile of puppies was rudely interrupted by her own biology insisting that she absolutely had to get up and tend to things. She detangled herself easily enough and headed to her room to make use of the loo. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The return trip seemed so unnecessarily long and her own bed was right there. She crawled in and passed back out without a second thought. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She started to wake up at some point when the covers shifted, but she blearily registered cool limbs and the scent of starlight, and dropped back into her REM cycle, unconcerned. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna woke several hours later at what actually seemed to be a reasonable time for once. The TARDIS thrummed low, but not loudly enough to mean she had to get up or risk upsetting her rhythms. She sighed, snuggling in, and vaguely registered the slightly chilled shoulder against her cheek. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What part of ‘don’t wander off on your own’ is so complicated for you?” the Doctor asked, sounding annoyingly alert. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mnm,” Donna grumbled, and buried her face in his collar. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He sighed and his ribcage expanded under her arm, two hearts thudding lazily against her chest.She was just starting to drift into a pleasant doze when he shifted, turning around to face her with a fair amount of jostling with long bony limbs. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nmm,” she grumbled, burrowing back in as soon as he settled. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He sighed again, but didn’t say anything else, and she drifted off for a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Some indeterminate amount of time later, Donna begrudgingly blinked one eye open, followed by the other. It took her a moment to focus on the collar with a sharp Adam’s apple poking out. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Morning,” she mumbled, missing some of the vowels, but who cared.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You passed the 8-hour mark well over three hours ago.” The Adam’s apple bobbed, disapprovingly. She resisted the urge to flick it, shoving a hand between them to rub at her eyes instead. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why are you in here?” she mumbled, yawning. “Thought you weren’t tired.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He sniffed and the muscles in his throat flexed. “Got a bit bored. It’s been <em>hours</em>, you know.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mmmm,” she hummed, unconcerned. “No room in the honeymoon suite?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shifted, looking down at her. “Is that why you aren’t in there; no room?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Got up in the middle of the night,” she said, rubbing her eyes again. “Seemed like a lot of trouble to get back. What’s your excuse?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You weren’t in there when I looked,” he said, like that explained anything. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She rolled away, throwing an arm over her face. “Well, you can head over now if you want. I’m fine. Obviously.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a pause distinctly lacking in movement. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You aren’t― “ The Doctor swallowed unnecessarily. “Are you actually afraid of me?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna woke the rest of the way up like she’d been doused in ice water. “What.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stared fixedly at something just over her shoulder. “You’ve said it before.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Down to his shirtsleeves, looking sleep-rumpled with the faint impression of her pillow on one cheek, the Doctor certainly didn’t look like much of a threat. It really was too bad that she knew better.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Do you want me to lie to you?” she asked, genuinely wondering. “You tried to erase my memories. I wouldn’t have been able to stop you if it’d just been you and me.” She shuddered, still trying not to think about it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’d have died if it had just been you and me,” he said, grimly certain. “Neither one of you had a full regeneration left.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She refused to look away. “I’d <em>rather</em> die than forget. <em>Like I said.</em>”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His features went blank. “You can say that <em>because</em> you’re alive! Everything always seems so grand and meaningful to you humans― even death! But death is just nothing. <em>Nothing</em>, Donna. Your memories wouldn’t keep you warm. You’d be dead and gone and I’d have to live on <em>knowing</em> I just let you―“ He cut off, clamping his jaw shut. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t care what you think. It’s <em>my</em> life. It’s <em>my call</em>!” With a sinking feeling, Donna realized something she’d been trying not to realize. “How can I trust you, knowing that you’d be willing to destroy me while I begged you not to?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor scoffed, “Sorry, you can trust me to try everything to save your life. It must be a colossal burden on you!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She wrenched herself upright. “Don’t you dare start in with your stupid god complex!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor looked up from his reclined position, suddenly very still and very cold. “Do you know how many civilizations have taken me for a god? More than you could imagine in your entire lifetime. But I can’t just walk away, knowing I could help.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna balked, infuriated by his dismissive tone. “Just because you have two hearts and this fancy box you think you can whip around doing whatever you like, but this is <em>my</em> life! You can’t rip apart <em>my life</em> just because you think it’s better than the alternative!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He gave her a look that was pure ice. “<em>I</em> can. I have to.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The fury swelled up, nearly drowning her, and then bled back out in a rush. “Not with me, you can’t. Not if you want me to stay.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He flinched, minutely. “What.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll leave!” she threatened. “I’ll go home and give this all up and never look back if you won’t swear to me that you’ll let me die on my own terms.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He finally lurched upright. “What?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We both know that’s how this ends― one way or another, I’m going to die. And I’m telling you right now I don’t <em>want</em> you to save me if it means you have to take me apart to do it! I want to live <em>and die</em> as me! Nothing less!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor’s face went blank, losing the human-friendly veneer. “And if I say no?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Then I guess you can take me back to Chiswick right now.” She crossed her arms, and categorically refused to cry. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor stared at her with inhuman eyes and just waited, like it was only a matter of time until she'd crack. It seemed inevitable that she would beg and plead for him to let her stay, no matter the terms. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna straightened her spine one vertebrae at a time and didn’t so much as flinch.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His look sharpened. “I don’t respond well to threats.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You don’t respond well to anything that gets in the way of you doing exactly what you want,” Donna snapped. “So you can take that tone and shove it.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a longer, more dangerous pause, in which she considered she might be about to go home anyway, kicked out for overstepping. She resolutely clenched her jaw around any urge to take it back. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor glared. “I’ll… think about it.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She scoffed, “That’s not good enough!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well it’s what you’re getting!” he snapped. “I could just lie, you realize. Tell you what you want to hear and then do what’s right regardless.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s not <em>right</em>―“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But I’ll think about it. If that’s― If you―“ He cut off, clenching his jaw. “I’ll think about it.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna glared daggers. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After several long seconds, she said, “Fine. You get one trip.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>One trip!?!</em>”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s one more than I’m comfortable with!” she shouted, shoving an accusatory finger into his chest. “You think I <em>like</em> not knowing if I can trust you?!” Tears sprang up at the thought and she violently pushed them back. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She rolled off the bed, heading for her wardrobe without looking back. “Now get out of my room. This might be my last trip and I’m not going in pajamas.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna marched down the corridor, refusing to feel like she was approaching her own execution. If the Doctor couldn’t be trusted then she had no business traveling with him. And if that realization made her feel like an icy fist was clenching around her heart then that was just something she was going to have to deal with. Better than letting a fear of abandonment twist them both into something unrecognizable. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">From somewhere down the corridor, she could hear the Doctor arguing with himself, a not-entirely uncommon occurrence. The overlapping voices were a bit new, but it wasn’t hard to guess which was which.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“―can’t pop by a Dalek penal colony just to prove a <em>point</em>!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Stay here with Rose if you’re so worried.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, no, you’re right― <em>now</em> it’s a great plan! Objections satisfied! <em>Off we go!</em>” It was still a bit strange to hear Donna’s speech patterns in the Doctor’s voice, but the sarcasm was translating quite well. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And what’s <em>your</em> brilliant recommendation? Another spa day?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Might give you a minute to actually think things through for once.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Think <em>what </em>through? The inscription for her tombstone?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna realized she’d stuttered to a stop and forced herself to follow the voices around the bend. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose came into view, pressed to the wall just outside the galley doors. She startled, looking slightly sheepish, and Donna hesitated, not entirely sure what to do with any of this. Before she could decide, the Doctors barreled out. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Great. We’re all ready to go.” The Doctor in brown barely glanced at them, heading straight for the console room. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor in blue coughed, looking for something to say and clearly coming up blank. After an odd beat, he swiveled on his heels, following his counterpart. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well,” Rose said, brightly, “At least it’s never boring, yeah?” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Starliner</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After some debate, they decided to use the random setting, having come to the conclusion that the TARDIS was the only one who could really be trusted. She gurgled and trilled and landed them in a 62nd-century starliner, in the middle of the month-long fete. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna fell just a little bit more in love with the ship. “Oh, you are good,” she cooed, stroking the panelling by the door. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose ducked her head out, whistling. “You’ve really outdone yourself,” she told the TARDIS. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They turned to find both Doctors looking a bit too interested in their petting, but remembering themselves enough to try to hide that interest. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Right then!” Donna said. “Trip to the wardrobe?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose cheered and darted off down the hall. The Doctor in blue followed, mumbling something about a tuxedo. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna took a deep breath and turned to the Doctor in brown. “I hate arguing at parties. Truce for the trip?” She held out a hand to shake. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor looked at it warily. “You mean…?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She cleared her throat and swallowed. “No, just― I only mean we don’t have to fight about it.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He gave her a long, unreadable look, but took her hand. “Fine.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She forced a smile and his mouth twitched into something like it. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You know, I don’t think you’ve ever seen my unlucky tuxedo.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You own something you <em>call</em> your unlucky tuxedo? What do you call that suit you’re wearing right now, flat-out cursed?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose and Donna settled on cocktail dresses with practical flats that could be run in because they weren’t idiots. The Doctors took longer, “Probably primping each other’s hair,” Donna guessed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They waited outside, surveying the party.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors stepped out wearing identical tuxedos, tugging absently at the cuffs and collars, completely indistinguishable.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, now <em>that</em> is <em>freaky</em>.” Donna whistled. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” the Doctors asked in near unison, before looking at each other. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll bet you ten quid I can guess which one is which,” Rose said.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna shook her hand without looking. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors scowled. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You can’t tell that I’m―“ one started only to be cut off by a wave of shushing. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t ruin the game!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He rolled his eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, that’s not helpful. That could be either of them.” Donna swiveled a finger in the air. “Give us a twirl.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Neither Doctor moved. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Like this!” Rose illustrated, spinning into the nearer one. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He caught her and she grinned up at him. “This one’s the original!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No points!” Donna argued. “Body temperature gives it away.” She put her own hands on the metacrisis Doctor’s cheeks, scrunching his face up. “Isn’t that right, you brave little toaster?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oi!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She laughed and pulled Rose away, clapping her hands over her eyes. “Try again! And no cheating!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why are we doing this?” one of the Doctors sighed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Because it’s fun!” Rose laughed. “Ready for another round?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a disgruntled, noncommittal sound.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They turned to find the Doctors standing side by side, arms crossed, wearing the same unimpressed expression. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, perfect!” Donna looked them over, circling slowly. “Rose, what do you think?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hard to say…” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Should we ask them questions?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You realize we can hear you,” the Doctor on the left pointed out drily. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hm, now is that the classic Doctor irritability, or is it the Donna Noble remix?” Donna wondered. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’re at a party,” the other Doctor pointed out. “We could be doing any number of more interesting things.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oooh, now is that ‘impatient to dance’ or ‘annoyed not to have thought of this game himself?’” Rose circled, back, moving closer. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No touching!” Donna reminded. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, there goes the make-out plan,” Rose said drily, clasping her hands behind her back, leaning up to peer at one set of eyes and then the other. She rocked back on her heels, shrugging, and her neckline slipped ever-so-slightly. Both Doctors glanced down and up, registering the movement, but one lingered just a moment longer. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This one’s part human,” Rose pointed confidently. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Really?” Donna came around next to her. “How are you sure?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose looked over at her and none-too-subtly adjusted her décolletage. “Woman’s intuition.” She grinned. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna put her hands on the indicated Doctor’s chest and crowed, “One heart! A point to Rose! OK, rematch.” She shook a finger at them. “Try harder this time!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hang on, the hair’s slightly different― quick ruffle!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey!” “<em>Hey!!</em>” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose and Donna were already turned around, hands over eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A few indignant scuffles later, they turned back. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors were standing in the same position, still fussing with their hair. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You can’t just stand there!” Donna said, shaking a finger. “You have to try to shuffle yourselves up!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Who says we didn’t?” the nearer one asked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There are only so many possible combinations of two people standing side-by-side,” the other one pointed out.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna crossed her arms, incidentally highlighting her own lower-cut neckline. Two sets of eyes registered the movement, and one took a beat longer to come back up. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh for― You didn’t even change positions!” She turned to Rose, indicating. “Human. Calling it.” She put her hands on his chest to confirm and then jumped as a second heart registered. “What the―!” She shoved her ear in, close enough to hear the four-four beat stutter slightly. “Ohoho!” she crowed, “The Time Lord wants to play after all!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor blinked and then grinned. “Sounds like Rose has the lead. 30―love, as they say in tennis.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Game on, Spaceman!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They turned again. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When they turned back around, the Doctors were pulling on matching gloves. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What are you doing with those?” Rose asked, genuinely curious. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor closest to her extended the gloved hand with a stylized bow. “Making this a dance contest.” He wiggled his fingers. “Can’t tell body temperature through gloves and a jacket.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She put her hand in his, testing, and then grinned back. “Shall we then?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose and her Doctor took off spinning like they’d choreographed a routine ahead of time.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna’s Doctor pulled her into an easy frame, still not close enough to check the heartbeat(s). </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I think this is the longest you’ve ever gone without trying to have a deeper conversation with me,” he observed, halfway through the first song. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Funny thing about deep conversations,” Donna said, “You typically need to know who you’re talking to.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looked at her with dark cinnamon eyes. “Do you really not know me?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She narrowed her eyes. “Nice try!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His lips twitched, but the dark look didn’t entirely recede. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s just a bit of fun,” she said, looking over at the other Doctor and back. “You’re clearly not just an original and a clone. For one thing, there’s a good bit of me in the better one,” she smirked. “2.0, you might say.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was the faintest whisper of an exhaled breath. “Oh, so you <em>do</em> know.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She smirked. “You give it away with the breathing.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” He visibly tried and failed not to focus on his own breathing. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh calm down, you’re not panting or anything. But you’re breathing like a normal person who’s been dancing.” She quirked her mouth. “Key words: normal person.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor scowled like she’d just insulted everyone he’d ever known. “This human body really is rubbish.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She laughed. “Tell me about it!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He cast a surreptitious glance over at the other couple, leaning closer. “How do you, um, focus?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She frowned at him, confused. “How do you mean?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">For no obvious reason that she could discern, his cheeks gained a bit of color. “You remember that Time Lords aren’t as… active… as humans…?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She turned that over in her mind, trying to work out what it could possibly mean. “…Is this about the breathing? I told you― it's normal!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He colored in a little further. “No, I mean…” he raised his eyebrows, clearly trying to relay something. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna raised her brows right back. “You mean…?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He coughed and gritted out, “Hormonally.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She squinted at him and then suddenly realized, “Good lord, that wasn’t just a bunch of alien nonsense? You― He― Time Lords really are asexual?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He made a vague, scrunchy face. “Not― No, not asexual. Just with a much, much, <em>much</em> lower, um, drive.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She gave him a speculative once-over. “How much lower?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He cleared his throat. “Loose comparison? The difference between a leisurely bicycle ride in a park and hurtling through space with an out of control warp drive. Both are technically still modes of transportation. But I can confidently say that if you’re used to bicycle rides…” His eyes went a bit wide and he blew out his cheeks.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna couldn’t quite help it; she started laughing. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oi! Don’t laugh! It’s <em>your </em>rubbish endocrine system!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She took one look at his indignant face and nearly doubled over. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Stop that!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She lost it all over again and had to be pulled off the dance floor. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is that really necessary?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She swallowed, and he begrudgingly passed her a handkerchief to dab her eyes. “Oh my God,” she wheezed, “I’ll have to get you a book or something. In the meantime, try, um, thinking of England?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shot a nervous glance back toward the dance floor toward a certain blonde. “England??” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna smothered the sound that tried to make it out. After a slow, slightly shaky breath, she managed to say, “Well, if you’re looking for a more active introduction, I think you know who might volunteer.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Where the Time Lord would have completely balked, and probably huffed off to sulk somewhere at even the implication, the human hybrid seemed to actually consider it. He gave Donna a furtive, sideways look. “Do you actually think…?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna couldn’t help it; she clapped her hands to his cheeks, squishing his face. “Oh, you randy little weasel!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey! Cheating!” Rose appeared out of nowhere, and the metacrisis Doctor jumped two feet straight back. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna nearly lost it all over again at his panicked look, only just managing to wheeze, “Sorry, sorry. Reshuffle?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They turned around and back to find the Doctors standing in formation. The one on the left sniffed, giving the one on the right a curious sidelong glance. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“C'mon, lefty,” Donna said, and held out a hand. As he came around, she winked at the other one, who sucked in a breath and let it out just a little too quickly. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">On the second swap, Rose caught Donna’s arm instead of the Doctor’s. “Fancy a drink?” she suggested.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are we not in the middle of a game?” the Doctor asked indignantly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Time Lord,” Rose and Donna said in unison. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hardly scientific,” he grumbled, and then yelped when Donna pressed two fingers unceremoniously to his neck, immediately registering the cooler skin and double pulse. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s the neediness that gives you away,” Donna tsked. “Try to work on that while we get our drinks.” She offered an arm to Rose who took it with a smile. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They sidled up to what looked like a bar and waited for something that looked a bit like a gorilla made out of cotton balls to amble over. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you really gonna leave?” Rose asked abruptly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna swiveled around to look at her. “Not much for segues, huh?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose shrugged, unapologetic. “I like a direct approach. I heard the Doctors earlier― Are you really that mad at him?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna sighed. “He tried to wipe my memory,” she reminded the younger woman, “While I begged him not to. He’d have done it if it weren’t for you two slowing him down. Not something I can really just not think about, y’know?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose tilted her head. “He tried to leave me in a parallel world,” she pointed out. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna frowned. “And that’s not a problem for you?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose shrugged, looking a bit far away. “He’s always been like that. No point goin’ outside and shoutin’ at the sky for rainin’, y’know.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna scoffed, turning back to the bar. “He can be better. He just doesn’t care to put the time in.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose scoffed, “I knew him in his last body too, y’know. He’s never done well with ultimatums.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s not an ultimatum,” Donna said, gently, “It’s just advanced warning. If he wants to play ‘lonely god,’ he can do it with someone else.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose frowned, opening her mouth, but the cotton ball gorilla chose that moment to amble over. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Can I get you something?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna smiled. “What would you recommend?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The gorilla looked them up and down. “Human?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They nodded and the gorilla reached for two glasses. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I have just the thing.”</span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><hr/><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>A/N: This fic now has actual fanart, thanks to the lovely and talented <a href="https://summerartist.tumblr.com/post/638978472807743488/fanart-inspired-by-the-fic-it-has-been-0-days">summerartist</a>.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Starliner (Part 2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Two rounds of drinks later, Donna was ready to forget the whole mind-wipe thing and just let the Doctor do whatever he wanted if he’d work out a way to synthesize whatever it was the cotton ball gorilla had mixed up. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I think I love you,” she told the gorilla in question. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The gorilla bared their teeth in what was probably a smile. “Thanks, sweetie, but I’m not even sure what gender you are.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Really? With all this going on?” Rose asked, waving her hands under Donna’s chest like a game show hostess. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The gorilla made a strange growling sound that was probably some sort of laugh. “I don’t know what you’re pointing at.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose whipped around, looking for the nearest humanoid to weigh in and found the Doctors standing just behind her, looking judgmental. “Doctors!” she greeted, too loudly, “C’mere and tell this gorilla that we’re obviously female.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The gorilla scrunched up their face. “Oh, are those breasts?” They leaned forward, curious now. “Have you only got the two?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Who’d want more than two? Just the pair already gets too much attention.” Donna turned to Rose for corroboration and spotted the Doctors. “Oh, look! The Doctors are here!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose giggled, slinging an arm over one. “What are you doing over here? We were gonna bring your drinks.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor shot a skeptical look at the two empty glasses sitting next two the two nearly empty glasses in their hands. “Were you now.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Our friend here makes the best drinks,” Donna said, putting her hand up like it was a secret and then accidentally speaking at a louder volume. “Think I’m gonna marry them. Once we sort out which genders we all are. Here―“ She grabbed the nearest Doctor by the collar, pulling him toward the bar. “What’s this one look like to you?” she asked the gorilla. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The cotton ball gorilla looked him over and guessed something that sounded like “Quilurk?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Huh,” Donna said, ignoring the Doctor’s fussing and pressing two fingers into his neck. One pulse. “No, this one’s definitely male. Male,” she enunciated. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’re both male!” the Time Lord sputtered, still mostly supporting Rose. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You see,” Donna said to the gorilla. “Male.” She gestured to the Doctors. “Female.” She indicated herself and Rose. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How binary,” the cotton ball gorilla said. They put four more drinks in front of them. “I thought humans had nearly a hundred genders. Are you in some sort of special interest group?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose inclined her head, “When you put it that way…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ok, that’s enough of that,” the Time Lord said, pulling her upright. She seemed to take that as an expression of interest in sharing, tipping the glass into his mouth amicably. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Rose!” he sputtered, and then paused, tasting more carefully. “What is― That’s not alcohol!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why would we serve alcohol here? It’s not a truck stop,” the gorilla said. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor snagged Donna’s drink, taking a quick sip. “That’s odd― almost tastes like―“ His eyes widened, meeting his twin’s. “Ohhh, no,” he groaned, turning back to Donna. “How many of these have you had?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna shrugged, trying to recapture her glass. “One or three.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors exchanged an alarmed look. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“OK, back to the TARDIS.” The metacrisis Doctor looped her arm over his shoulders, pulling her up. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Unlike Rose, who went easily, Donna (being Donna) fought the motion, twisting backwards. “Watch it, handsy! We’re having a drink here!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He snatched her glass off the bar, waving it enticingly. “You mean this drink?” She reached for it and he used the motion to pull her onto her feet. “That’s right, follow the nice drink.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t you coo at me; I made you!” she said and snatched the remaining glass off the bar. She smiled at the cotton ball gorilla. “These really are lovely, but we’ll have to take them to go. What do these scarecrows owe you for the tab?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The gorilla blinked at her, still looking inappropriately entertained for a gorilla. “Oh, there’s no charge on experiential liners. How else would we power the ship?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna squinted at her and then shook that off, smiling. “Are you sure you don’t want to marry me?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna!” the Doctors whined.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So sorry,” Donna said to the gorilla, “You know how men are. One biological metacrisis and they think you’re locked in for a mortgage.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She and Rose laughed while the gorilla looked politely bemused. Which was also a strange look on a gorilla. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“OK, here we go,” the Doctors swapped places and the Time Lord pried Donna up into his arms while the metacrisis Doctor pulled a similar maneuver with Rose. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Donna shrieked, wrapping her arms around his shoulders in a defensive grip. “Put me down!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“If I put you down then how will you drink your drink?” the Doctor asked in an insultingly reasonable tone. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She realized her death-grip had placed her glass just within reach and settled a bit, humming, “Hmmm.” She took a sip, immediately feeling much less hostile. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is great,” Rose said, draped across the metacrisis Doctor like Cleopatra, “We should do this all the time.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna hummed agreeably and laughed when the Doctor’s shoulder jumped slightly in response. She hooked a finger under his collar and puffed a breath inside, making him squirm. “Mine’s ticklish!” she called over to Rose. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a pause and then an indignant yelp, followed by a scandalized, “Rose, that’s my <em>ear</em>!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna skewed a speculative glance sideways. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna,” the Doctor warned, angling his head away, “Don’t―“ She blew a quick stream of air at the shell of his ear and he yelped, “<em>Donna!</em>”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">On sheer impulse she ducked in, brushing her lips against the curve, and was rewarded with a full-body shudder. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Stop that!” he said, and she laughed, making him shudder again. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He picked up the pace. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Can you reach your key?” the duplicate Doctor asked, sounding a bit choked. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No need,” the Time Lord replied, shifting his grip to snap his fingers. The familiar blue frame loomed overhead, briefly, before something shifted, and they stumbled back out. Donna’s drink sloshed with the abrupt change in direction, splashing a bit. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What gives?” Donna grumbled, taking another sip. For safety. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“One trip,” the Doctor said, apropos of nothing.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What are you doing?” the other Doctor called, sounding echoey and oddly far away. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna said one trip. This is the trip. I can’t―“ He took a step back, stiffening up like a board. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So bony,” Donna complained.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a rustle of movement and a squeak of leather, followed by Rose giggling in the distance.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You can’t be serious,” the metacrisis Doctor said, suddenly close again. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor’s grip tightened, taking another step back. “I need more time.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So just… tell her you won’t…“ Cloth rustled, somehow sounding abrupt and impatient. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor went very still. So still that it felt like he’d stopped breathing. Donna shifted, pulling back just enough to look at him. “You all right?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He flicked a glance at her in profile. “I need more time,” he repeated. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His twin huffed impatiently. “What’s your plan? Just live on this starliner for 90 years until it’s all a moot point?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is that an option?” Donna asked. “Because I do want another shot at that magical gorilla…” She giggled, taking another sip. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No more magic gorilla juice,” the duplicate Doctor said. “You’ve had too much already. You’ve got no tolerance for it, unlike humans from this century.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Pfft. I’ve had a human body way longer than you. Think you know everything.” Donna took another sip. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“OK, both of you just―“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor jumped back, giving Donna’s stomach an unpleasant lurch. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Easy, horsey!” she chided. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He tightened his grip again. “One more trip.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a long beat as Donna realized that might have been directed at her. With herculean effort, she pulled her head back to look at him again. “What?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor turned his head to look at her, blurring in close proximity. “Can I have one more trip? Anywhere you want this time.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She squinted at him. “What are you on about?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna,” he pleaded, “Would you let me have one more trip? Please?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She knew she shouldn’t say yes, but she couldn’t quite remember why. And he looked so pathetic, all big eyes and a slightly wobbly lip. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“OK, Spaceman,” she said.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He blinked at her, looking painfully hopeful. “Yes?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah,” she said, and got a desperate, disorientating kiss for her troubles. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And that wasn’t something she should be allowing either, but it was increasingly hard to remember what was and wasn’t allowed. And it was a bit nice, all cool and smooth. She tried to tilt into it, but the world spun with the movement, sending her reeling. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When everything refocused, Donna found herself in the medbay with Rose looking similarly bewildered, but as unconcerned as ever. Donna was beginning to suspect she just didn’t have anything like a self-preservation instinct. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fancy meeting you here,” Rose said, leaning back on her arms and kicking her legs out.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna reached for her drink and was dismayed to find nothing in sight except for a strange bag of fluid hovering overhead. “Did those rubbish martians nick our drinks?” she asked, twisting around.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes, regrettably, the magic gorilla drinks have been depleted,” the Doctor said, popping up out of nowhere. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oi!” Donna squawked, taking a swipe at him. “I was enjoying that!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m aware.” The Doctor dodged her jabs easily, pressing two cool fingers to her neck. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You declared it quite firmly while pouring it into the TARDIS’ synthesizer,” the metacrisis Doctor piped up.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh?” She perked up, looking around. “And?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors ignored her, running brisk vital checks. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna grabbed the bowtie in front of her and gave it a firm yank. “And??”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor jerked indignantly. “And <em>if you’re good</em>, she <em>might</em> someday be willing to mix a very limited amount.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, you are just the nicest ship,” Donna cooed at the ceiling. She released her grip on the bowtie, patting the medical cot instead. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She really is,” Rose agreed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The TARDIS thrummed and started up an alarming mechanical grind that was her closest approximation of purring.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All right, you two seem reasonably stable so now it’s just a matter of hydration and balancing nutrients.” The Doctor pointed to the packs floating ―hanging?― overhead. “Don’t touch the packs and try not to wander into any of the rooms with animals. Actually, let’s just get you into your room.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor picked Donna up, pulling the hydration pack along. Possibly connected to balloons?</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna was starting to enjoy this ride. “Sleepover?” she called over to Rose.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sleepover!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sleepover in my room!” Donna instructed the Doctor, pulling the left side of his collar up like reins. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor put up a token fuss about not being a pack mule, but took them to Donna’s room all the same, depositing her on bed. Rose immediately set to trying to work her way out of her dress, and Donna set to searching for her zipper. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor pulled it down far enough to get her started and then snatched his hands back. “Right, you stay here. We’ll be right back.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What? Where’re you goin’?” “We’re havin’ a sleepover!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor busied himself straightening out his mangled bowtie. “Your fiancé, the cotton ball gorilla of unknown gender, mentioned it being an experiential liner. Notoriously unstable affairs, those. Worth a quick look under the hood.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna squinted at him. “You’re going back?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yep,” he popped. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You should check the ventilation shafts,” she said, hazily, starting a braid in Rose’s hair. “Suspiciously shiny.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He exchanged a look and a shrug with his duplicate. “Shiny ventilation shafts. Right.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor combed two hands through his hair and they turned to head out. “Back before you know it!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors returned several hours later looking like they’d spent the whole time falling down a chimney and then climbing their way back up only to to repeat the process several times over. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose was passed out, tangled around Donna like marmoset, but Donna blinked one eye open when they walked in. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wha’ happened to you?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor ruffled his hair, throwing ash everywhere and creating a faint cloud of ozone. “You were right about the ventilation shafts. But you might want to reconsider your engagement. Your fiancé has violently combustible friends.” He shrugged off the jacket, dropping it unceremoniously to the floor next to the other’s in a grey puff. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What can I say? I like ‘em with a little edge.” Donna stretched, nudging Rose over to make space. “Don’t get ash in my bed.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors blinked at her and then at each other, or more specifically at the layers of ash coating nearly every available surface. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just take the kit off,” Donna said with an exasperated sigh.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” the Doctor on the right asked, voice jumping up. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Spot the Time Lord. Donna rolled her eyes and gestured toward the metacrisis Doctor. “Nothing I haven’t seen before!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose cracked one eye open just in time for the metacrisis Doctor to shrug and pull his shirt off. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Good morning to <em>me</em>!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He colored in slightly. “Donna said―“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, if <em>Donna</em> said,” she grinned wolfishly, “By all means!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looked a bit embarrassed, but shucked the trousers as well, hopping around to get the socks off, and doing his best to ignore the whistles and catcalls. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Time Lord watched the whole affair like he was considering regenerating just to get out of the ridiculous shame of having a part-human sharing his appearance. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor hopped into bed without needing any further coaxing, immediately snuggling in. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Embarrassing.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna eyed the unmoving Doctor. “And what’s your plan then? Just stand there all night like some creep?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I might not be tired,” he pointed out. And then accidentally yawned. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, just―“ Donna twisted her fingers in an impatient circle. “What, do you need a tutorial?” She rolled to her knees and unceremoniously ripped three buttons loose and then yanked the shirt over his head. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Take off your own damn trousers,” she ordered, flopping back down. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor hesitated and she cracked an impatient eye open. He hurriedly shucked them off and just got in. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna looped an arm over and hummed, “Cool as a cucumber,” before dropping off again.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. One Last Trip</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna woke, once again, to find that her bed had been invaded. She was beginning to feel like the grandparents in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She had an arm over the Doctor, two hearts thudding slowly against her chest, but there was cool skin under her palm instead of the usual layers of fabric. When she shifted she was surprised to feel sheets instead of pajama bottoms against her bare legs. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She was also unsure what to make of the third leg wedged between hers, far too smooth to belong to either of the Doctors. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She wriggled experimentally, a bit relieved to feel a vest and knickers against her skin. Rose grumbled in her sleep, curling closer, and the knee between her legs hitched just a bit higher. Donna’s fisted hand against the Doctor’s chest reflexively, and he tensed up, turning. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She blinked at him, wondering why he looked so nervous, and Rose moved again, tightening the arm she hadn’t noticed across her abdomen. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna squeaked. She wasn’t proud of it, but there it was. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor looked inexplicably alarmed. “You said it was all right,” he said quickly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She squinted at him. “What are you― <em>Rose</em>!” she hissed, trying to pry off the arm creeping steadily higher, “Rose, wake <em>up</em>!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose grumbled, curling in tighter somehow. “In a minute.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor’s worried look tilted into confusion. “What are you―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>Rose!</em>” Donna yelped as she got a thorough grope. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wassit?” the blonde mumbled, raising a bleary head. “Shh!” she shushed the Doctor, twisting herself around to her other side, “Donna’s sleeping.” She wedged herself under the metacrisis Doctor’s chin and dropped off again. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor squinted, turning back to Donna. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She yanked the comforter up to her neck. “Where are my pajamas?!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You refused to put them on,” he said slowly. “Don’t you remember?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And… just like that, she did. She remembered tumbling into bed laughing… quite possibly ripping off a shirt herself. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah,” she said, eloquently, “Right.” Her eyes dropped to his chest and then wrenched back up to his face. “Er. Sorry…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He blinked. “You’re not mad?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She squinted at him, sorting through memories of making a general fool of herself and having to be literally carried back to the TARDIS. There was a shocking lack of mockery involved, and the usual lack of inappropriate touching… on his part…</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She shook that thought off and carefully kicked it under a mental rug. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why would <em>I</em> be mad?” she asked. “What did you do after I fell asleep?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor blinked owlishly. “Went to sleep. Why do you ask?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She snorted. “Never mind.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He hesitated, but when no further accusations came up, he seemed to suddenly lose a stone of tension. His features stretched in a boyish smile that she couldn’t help but return. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” she asked, trying for annoyed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Breakfast?” he offered. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Gawd yes,” she moaned and sat up, gripping the covers. “Can you, uh, grab my robe?” She pointed toward the wardrobe where it hung over one door. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He hopped up and nearly blinded her with a sudden flash of much more skin than she’d ever seen, outside of the minor incident with the metacrisis that she really didn’t need to be thinking about right now. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor bounded over and back in three strides, holding out the robe like he expected a treat.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She shook that thought off as well, wondering idly what exactly had been in those drinks. Just liquid hormones? </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks,” she said, pulling the robe on and getting up. “Give me two minutes to get dressed and wash up and I’ll meet you in the galley, yeah?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna wandered into the galley, yawning, to find the Doctor fully suited up and darting around between the counters, tossing eggs into what she sure hoped were pans. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They ate and everything seemed generally pleasant until she unfortunately remembered that he owed her an answer. Her spine clenched awkwardly, and he seemed to notice the tension. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So…” he said, slowly, “Where to, then?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She frowned. “That sort of depends on you.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He frowned back. “What do you mean?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna flushed hot and cold at the same time. “<em>That’s</em> what you’re going with?! You’ve ‘<em>forgotten</em>?!’” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He flinched back, but still seemed confused. “You didn’t tell me where you wanted to go. I’m sure I’d remember!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” She glared. “What are you even talking about?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stared at her. “The, um, trip. One more trip. Anywhere you want. You name it.” He tilted his head nervously. “You do have to name it though. You haven’t done that bit yet.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna remembered some strange, blurry, half-sensical conversation that involved that phrase. “One more trip,” she repeated, trying to place it. And then remembered the context. Mortification hit like a bucketful of ice. “You tricked me!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” he yelped. “I did not!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She pointed an accusatory finger at him. “You made me agree to another trip <em>while I was drunk</em>! What sort of―“ Her voice tripped, dangerously close to hysterical. “I gave you one trip to decide whether or not I can <em>trust</em> you and you <em>tricked</em> me into giving you another?! What’s <em>wrong</em> with you?!?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He scrambled to his feet. “It wasn’t my fault! That was hardly a trip at all― barely six hours! And you swanned off to drink for most of it! It shouldn’t count!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, does this trust exercise come with loopholes now?!” she crowed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“'Trust exercise?!'” he repeated scornfully. “That’s a strange way to pronounce ‘ultimatum!’”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna let out an infuriated shriek. “You realize I can just leave, right?! I’m only giving you ‘time to think’ because you asked and <em>I thought </em>we were friends! But it’s not a contract for you to do whatever you want!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He gaped at her, a portrait of betrayal. “You said I could have one more trip! I didn’t― I wouldn’t’ve―“ He cut off with a sound like a kicked puppy. “You can’t just take it back!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh for Chrissake! You can’t do this! You can’t whine and whimper your way into doing whatever you want to me! We’re supposed to be friends!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He gawked at her, jaw working soundlessly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And in an unfair and even more infuriating twist, she felt the fight bleed out of her in a rush, leaving an empty, aching void. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Some cowardly part of her was glad for the time. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“One trip,” she said, holding one shaking finger in his face. “One. No caveats. No do-overs. No exceptions. You get one more trip, and you owe me an answer the second we walk back through those doors.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looked at her with wide, dark eyes, and nodded once, in acknowledgment. “Fine.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She took in a deep breath, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes until she could see stars. “Fine.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She took another deep breath in, and tried to breathe out all the doubt and rage and betrayal that she didn’t want to be a part of her last trip on the TARDIS. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Three more deep breaths and she finally lowered her hands to find the Doctor standing in the same place, with the same hunted expression. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I want to go to the beach. The nicest beach in the entire universe on a sunny, 27-degree day where I can lie on the sand and go for a swim.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He nodded slowly and confirmed, “Beach. Sun. Sand. Swim. 27 degrees. Got it.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She started toward the door, stopped, and hesitated before squaring her shoulders. “I want to stay, you know. I want to travel with you for the rest of my life. But I can’t do that if I can’t trust you not to betray me when I can’t defend myself.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His fists clenched at his sides. “I wouldn’t―“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You already have,” she reminded him, tone carefully neutral. “But I’m giving you a second chance because I <em>want</em> to trust you. I <em>want</em> to stay!” Her voice cracked on the last, but she swallowed it down. “I’m being as honest as I know how to be, here.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looked at her with the blank expression he defaulted to when his human-friendly veneer failed. “If you want to stay, and I want you to stay, then why can’t you just stay?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sighed, mouth twisting. “I might not be 900-years-old, but I’m old enough to know better.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stared at her with his ancient, inhuman eyes and she sighed again. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m going to go get changed.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The lovebirds were still in Donna’s bed, curled up around each other like contented kittens. On an impulse, she found herself standing on the side by the metacrisis Doctor, trying to memorize his slack features. Just in case. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sat on the corner of the bed, stroking one hand through his hair, and he turned in his sleep, leaning into the contact.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In all likelihood, she would never see him like this again. The realization came not in a rush, but in a cold, steady ache, like she’d swallowed a frozen stone and could feel it just sitting inside, heavy and unavoidable. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She traced his brow, followed the line of a sideburn, and skated across his cheekbone, feeling the structure under the pads of her fingertips. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He sniffed, features scrunching, and blinked his eyes open. “Donna?” His voice cracked sleepily. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sorry,” she said, “Didn’t mean to wake you.” Her voice was pinched, even to her own ears. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor frowned faintly, turning more fully. “You all right?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah,” she said, sounding a bit damp. She snuck a quick impulsive kiss to the space between his brow and temple. “C’mon, we’re going to a beach.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He blinked again, still squinting, “Are you crying?” He reached a hand up toward her face, but she caught it, pressing it between hers. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nah,” she said to cover the faint sound of two droplets hitting the sheets, “Course not.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The human Doctor tried to turn more fully and the motion woke Rose. “Wassit?” she mumbled, shoving a hand up to rub at her eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna took the distraction to scrub her sleeve over her own eyes and stand up. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Beach trip, today,” she announced cheerily. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor frowned up at her, still having a little trouble focusing. “Are you―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Better get up now!” she cut him off. “You can always sleep on the beach.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose squinted blearily. “…Beach?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A proper beach,” Donna confirmed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose buried her face and then propped herself up with a groan. “A proper beach?” she repeated, sounding more awake already.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sun, sand, everything.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose pushed herself upright, completely unconcerned by her limited attire. “Donna, you <em>are</em> brilliant.” She turned her grin on the metacrisis Doctor. “Do you think the TARDIS kept my bikini?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He sat up, sputtering, “How would I know?” But Rose was already hopping off the bed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“An actual beach!” she laughed, heading out into the hall. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor looked at the empty doorway for two beats and then turned back to Donna. “What―“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She snatched him into a hug. “Don’t worry about it,” she mumbled. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His grip tightened briefly, but he let her pull back without a fight. “Are you―“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“C’mon, get dressed,” she cut him off again, “You get to learn about the joys of sunblock.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna was the last to arrive in the console room, wearing a lovely one-piece and a solid layer of sunblock under a breezy cover-up.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose was wearing a sundress over her suit and was carefully painting every inch of the metacrisis Doctor in sunblock, while he stood awkwardly in blue trunks. A garish printed shirt was thrown over a nearby rail. The other Doctor was stationed at the console, wearing brown shorts and an equally gaudy button-down, watching the sunblock exercise with an unreadable expression. He looked up at Donna’s approach and immediately threw the dematerialization switch, knocking them all slightly off-balance. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The ship settled quickly and Donna straightened her cover-up, heading for the doors. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">At first she thought he’d landed them in a snowdrift, but a luxuriously warm breeze wafted in and she realized it was, in fact, just the whitest sand she’d ever seen. She took a step out and sank into it, the pads of her feet warming pleasantly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh,” she couldn’t quite keep from moaning, “This is <em>lovely</em>.” She took another couple of steps, passing through the TARDIS shielding and warm sunlight washed over her, the sound of waves in the distance. She followed the sound down to the shoreline and found that the water was crystal clear, lapping against the white sand in almost indiscernible lines.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Someone came up beside her, catching her hand, and she was faintly surprised to feel cool skin.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Good?” the Doctor asked, oddly subdued. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Perfect,” she breathed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She tapped two toes into the water and moaned at the temperate temperature, just cool enough to be refreshing and not a degree less. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She turned, grinning in spite of herself, and found him looking at her with an odd, unreadable expression. Just over his shoulder, Rose and the other Doctor were still goggling, taking in the sights with much more human expressions of wonder. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The shore was lined with what looked like the primordial version of banana trees, cast in shades of white. Leaves the size of hatchbacks arched overhead, creating a natural canopy. Donna tossed her beach bag into the nearest shade, pulling her cover-up off and throwing it after. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“C’mon, Spaceman,” she laughed, “Let’s see if you sink like a stone.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor blinked, reanimating, and immediately pulled his shirt over his head. “I once lived with fish people for the better part of a year,” he said, tossing his sandals over by her bag. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Bully for you.” She was already wading out, finding a few shells visible through the clear water. “Are any of these going to try to eat me?” she called back, bending down to poke one. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“If you can be eaten by something the size of a coin, you probably aren’t long for this world anyway,” the Doctor pointed out, catching one up between two fingers and tipping it into one hand to reveal an array of tendrils. “They’re somewhere between hermit crabs and sea anemones,” he explained. “Basically harmless.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna eyed the tentacles. “Aren’t anemones toxic?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well,” he scoffed, “You probably shouldn’t roll around on them, but that’s true of most things.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She replaced the shell, sliding into the water with a happy sigh. “You’re lucky I’m suddenly not in the mood to argue.” She rolled onto her back, looking up the nearly white sky. “Is this whole planet just variations on ‘white’ and ‘clear?’” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor tilted his head back, cutting a sharp line of throat and jaw. “Must be slightly outside the visual range of humans,” he said absently. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It took a moment for that to register. “What, does it not look white to you?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looked down at her, blinking. “Course not.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, what does it look like?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He frowned. “You want me to describe a color you can’t see? You realize that’s the exact metaphor most people use to illustrate an impossible endeavor. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna huffed, touching down to stand up properly. “Well, show me then.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” He squinted at her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She hesitated for just half a second and then gestured to her temples. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He snapped his head down to look at her properly. “You sure?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She nodded, somewhat stiltedly, and then nodded again with more conviction. “Yeah. If you don’t mind.” Her muted memories pulled in by the metacrisis recalled vague notions of social protocols around telepathic contact of any kind. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor hesitated, fingers twitching, and then pulled his hands into position so abruptly she nearly jumped. He held his hands there for a moment and then touched two fingers to each contact point, eyes sliding shut. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was an odd sensation, like her ears were clearing, but instead of her ears it was her optic nerve. Between one blink and the next, the world lit up in fantastical colors. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh my God,” Donna breathed, grabbing his outstretched arms for balance. His hands shifted away from her face, catching her in a cool, steadying grip. She tilted her head back, taking in an indescribable palette, seamlessly painted over the previous white. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The previously indistinguishable clouds seemed to jump, moving around each other in strange patterns like she’d never seen. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Like it?” he asked, sounding entertained as she bent over backwards until the water lapped at her scalp. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, this is… I don’t even know the word…” She pulled herself back upright and spotted the shore over his shoulder, now dancing with hues too complex for her corneas to fully take in. She turned to look at him, and found that his eyes had shifted, sparking an underlying tone that she’d never been able to make out before. “Oh, no wonder you can never focus,” she said, tilting his head in her hands, trying to take in the new angles.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looked at her with his odd, blank expression, but the added hues gave it more depth, hinting at an unrecognizable emotion. “Is it too much?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She laughed in his face, pressing a kiss to one sharp cheekbone. “Probably! But don’t you dare take it back!” she locked her arms around his neck for balance and dropped her head back again, watching the colors swirl. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s going on over there?” Rose asked, laughing. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna pulled herself upright. “Did you know they can see more colors than we can?!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Really?” Rose turned to the metacrisis Doctor, who looked a bit subdued. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shook his head once. “Too human,” he said with a tone that was probably supposed to be light. He seemed to be making an effort not to look too long at any one thing. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh,” Donna said with a sharp pang of guilt, “…Sorry…” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Time Lord frowned at his duplicate. “Do you want me to…?” He gestured vaguely toward his own head. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Um…” The metacrisis Doctor hesitated and then said, “No. Wouldn’t be the same, would it?” He paused again, longer, and then lightly tugged Rose’s hand. “Rose might like a go though.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose frowned at him, barely even considering it. “What fun is that, if you’re left out?” She pulled his hand, wading further out. “I’ve made it this far with just the human colors. Not gonna start worrying about it now. You two have fun though!” she called back, with the usual easy smile. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I get why you’re in love with her,” Donna said, too low to be overheard at a distance. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was no response. She turned back to find the Doctor staring at her, strange new colors making him look less human than ever. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why would you say that?” he asked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She shrugged, realized she was still latched onto him like a limpet, and tried to subtly disengage to a more respectable distance. “Because I get it. She’s a bit brilliant, isn’t she?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Course she is,” he said, not seeming to notice her efforts to pull back. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Can’t believe you were just gonna leave her on that beach.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I wasn’t going to leave her to be cruel. I was going to leave her so she could move on.” He looked over at the splashing duo with ancient, lonely eyes. “Rose loves the parts of me that seem human. And that’s really not that much of me.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna frowned. “That doesn’t seem fair―“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s not a judgment,” he said, tone perfectly neutral, “It’s a biological imperative. Seeking out one’s own species.” He breathed out a single, slightly wistful breath. “And it’s a natural adaptation to mimic one’s surroundings, if one finds oneself alone, with only other species for company. But it’s not fair to use that mimicry to court a mate.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna looked at him, and felt a swell of empathy that could have drowned her ten times over. She swallowed it down. “That’s rubbish, you know. You’re fooling yourself if you think anyone confuses you for human.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He blinked, a fraction too slowly, and fixed her with another blank look. “You never have,” he conceded, “But that’s why you’re afraid of me.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It took a moment for the words to register, and she jerked back to look at him properly. “I’m not afraid of you because you’re an alien. I’m afraid of what you do when there’s no one around to stop you.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looked back impassively. “You’ve no idea what I’m capable of.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She shoved his arms off. “I know more than either one of us wants to think about. And it’s no excuse not to <em>try </em>to be<em> better</em>!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You don’t understand. Can’t understand,” he said, looking down at her like an ant too dim to possibly comprehend its own place in the world. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Anything I don’t understand is because you’re too much of a coward to tell me.” She kept her voice low and steady, unwilling to rise to the bait. “But I know enough.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is that why you’re going to leave?” he asked mildly. “Because you know too much?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“If I’m going to leave,” she growled back, “It’ll be because you make me choose between being your friend or having any say in my own life.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stared, jaw clenching, and she stepped back. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Now go away, and don’t come back until you have something civil to say to me. If I’m on my last trip, I want to enjoy it.” She forced herself to turn and swim away. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. One Last Trip (Part 2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Er. Sorry about this.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna swam out looking for a drop-off that never came. The sea-level remained pleasantly manageable, low enough for her to touch down whenever she wanted a rest. It was an easy glide through the salty water, noticeably devoid of any suspicious sea life. She kept her back carefully angled toward the shoreline, refusing to look and see where her companions had scattered off to.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Soon enough it wouldn’t matter. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She swam out further, twisting onto her back to look at the mesmerizing sky. The clouds continued their strange dancing motions and the water lapped over her ears, giving everything a pleasant, dreamy feeling. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A muffled shout intruded, and it took two repeats to register. Donna jerked up, momentarily deafened by the rush of water draining, and then heard the all-too-familiar sound of the Doctor shouting frantically. She twisted around to see him much further away than she’d have estimated, hopping up and down near the shore. Rose and his twin were splashing madly, swimming like they’d forgotten how their limbs worked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The water around her warmed slightly, darkening, moments before a cavernous mouth closed around her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna bit back a shout, scrambling for purchase underwater. Unpleasantly slick surfaces met her at every angle, with no obvious orientation for teeth vs gullet. She braced one hand and the opposite knee against two sides, frantically trying to work out an air source or escape route or <em>something</em>.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a strange slurping sound and the water drained up somehow, dropping her down with a disgusting thunk. A sound like a sprinkler came from somewhere nearby, but she was less worried about that and much more worried about the swooping sensation that was now much more noticeable, like a very unstable, disgustingly damp hopper plane trying to get over turbulence. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ohhkay,” she breathed, “This is not good.” She tried to stand up and immediately slipped back down, thoroughly coating her back in what she absolutely did not want to think of as saliva. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a strange humming sound, not quite audible, that reminded her of the TARDIS for some reason. She felt a faint sensation of regret, like she wanted to apologize.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What the―“ She struggled to sit up, looking around, and the sensation faded, replaced by something urgent.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Not urgent as in must-get-out-of-the-unexpected-giant-mouth urgent. No, urgent as in the feeling she’d get when the TARDIS wanted her to keep the Doctor from setting something on fire. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“…TARDIS?” she asked, feeling like an idiot. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">// A faint negative, mixed with confusion. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“…Not the TARDIS, but telepathic?” she guessed, trying to think of everything she knew about telepathy. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">// A muddled, vaguely positive response. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna decided to take that as a good sign. Because there really was no better option available. “OK, what are you?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She had a sensation of something cloudy, vaguely the size of a blue whale, but with no distinction between water and air for navigation. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fantastic. A flying, telepathic cloud-whale.” She pitched her voice into a whiny register. “‘Oh, no, Donna, there’s no wildlife here. Just these little wiggly shells. Oh and the occasional flying, telepathic cloud-whale, but that goes without saying really.’” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The surface under her legs shifted, uncomfortably reminiscent of a tongue. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Right.” She forced herself to refocus. “What do you want?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">// The mental equivalent of question marks. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why did you pick me up?” Donna mentally played back her casual abduction, focusing on her confusion. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A disorientating amalgam of concepts rushed in, reminding her of movies flipping through images too quickly to register. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Maybe a bit slower,” she suggested. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The images flashed up in bright, blinding colors, each shape somehow familiar and yet not quite discernable. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“…Right…” she said, not sure what to make of that. “And where are you taking me?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It took a few tries to get that concept across, and she didn’t understand the answer any better, but it didn’t seem to involve digestion so she decided that was promising. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All right,” she settled in, refusing to register the slick sensations against her legs and back. “Let’s take it from the top. <em>Slowly.</em>”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor was not sulking. And he certainly wasn’t replaying the conversation with Donna over and over in the back of his mind. And he absolutely wasn’t letting it get to him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">No. He was just sitting on the sand, taking in the sights. As one did.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His duplicate was splashing around with Rose, doing a terrible job of pretending not to look over every three minutes. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose looked concerned, but, as usual, seemed confident that things would work out. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He envied that confidence. Some days he wondered if he could distill it. She’d probably let him try. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Unlike Donna, who would say no just to spite him and then spin up some elaborate story about why it was unjust and unfair for him to even ask. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He vaguely registered the redhead bobbing further away. The cove extended for miles at this point, so she’d never make it to open water. But that didn’t seem to be stopping her from trying. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looked away, tilting his head back to take in the sky, but that just reminded him that he hadn’t adjusted Donna’s sight back yet. So she was probably doing the same.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He jerked his head back down, glaring at his own knuckles instead. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What is <em>that</em>?!” his own voice rang out. Still not used to that. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor looked up to see his duplicate and Rose dive into the water, heading straight for Donna. In the distance, one of the oddly-moving clouds coalesced into a distinct, undulating shape, dipping down out of the troposphere like a whale diving into deeper water. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna!” he shouted, jumping to his feet. “Donna!!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She popped up, looking around, just as the sky beast dove lower, skimming her right into its mouth. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It swept low and then bent back toward the sky, letting out a stream of sea spray broad enough to catch the metacrisis Doctor and Rose. They popped up, looking around, and then gaped at the creature who disappeared into the cloud cover. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a long, pregnant pause, and then both humans whipped around, gesturing wildly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Get back here!” he bellowed, yanking his shirt back on. Rose and his duplicate splashed back onto the shore, struggling into their own clothes and babbling. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What was that? It was huge!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There shouldn’t be any wildlife! I saw the scans!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What happened to Donna?!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a pause in the stream and the Doctor realized that the last question was not rhetorical. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That thing ate her,” he said succinctly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna’s dead?!?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No!” he snapped, and then winced. “I don’t know! It just swallowed her whole. She might still be…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What, riding around inside like Pinocchio?” Rose’s tone was sarcastic, but she was looking up and down the coastline just as frantically, searching for something that might help. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’ll have to take the TARDIS,” the metacrisis Doctor said, already gathering up bags and heading for the ship. “She’s not good at close flights, but she’s our best option.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose grabbed the rest of the things and followed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor started to follow and then skidded to a halt just outside. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What are you doing <em>now</em>?!” his duplicate shouted. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Does this count?“ He eyed the doors, uncomfortably aware of his promise. “This isn’t―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Doctor, get in here!” Rose shouted as well, awkwardly approaching the least complex controls. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It shouldn’t―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, for Chrissake!” His duplicate stormed around the console in a mirror of Donna’s customary flounce. “Either get in here or get away from the doors! We have to go <em>now</em>!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor stepped over the threshold, jumping as the doors slammed shut behind him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor threw the flight switch, swinging the display around, “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon― Aha!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor shoved his way in, registering the faint blip of a heat signature in the lower stratosphere. He yanked the display around to the other side, taking up a post. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What do you think that thing is?” he wondered, shoving dials and cranking levers. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No idea,” his duplicate answered, jumping around on the other side. “Where’s it going anyway? A roost?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What, you think it’s taking Donna to some sky nest?” Rose asked, fighting the tension rod with one foot braced against the lower lip. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The screen buzzed angrily, flashing an alert, followed immediately by a wave of further heat signatures.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What on― Where did <em>those</em> come from?!” the Doctor shoved the screen back around.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Heat signature hidden by the altitude?” his duplicate suggested, with the air of someone casting about wildly for an answer. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose grabbed a nearby strap and hastily lashed her rod to the grating. “I’ll take a look,” she said, and darted over to the doors, flinging them open just in time to see a great gaping maw close around them. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t mean to be rude,” Donna said, slipping around, “But have you ever considered picking people up on the outside instead of the inside? More NeverEnding Story, less Jonah and the Whale.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a pause and then the mouth opened, just a crack. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna had never thought to open the emergency exit on a plane while in flight, but she imagined it would feel a little something like that. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Air rushed in, flinging her back, and it was <em>freezing</em>― like a wave of icy daggers straight to the face. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The creature clamped shut again almost immediately, with a faint tremor that she suspected of being the telepathic equivalent of ‘Told ya so.’</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fine,” Donna said, between gritted teeth, “Suppose you have a point.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The tongue rolled slightly, and she concentrated very hard on not thinking about motion sickness. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So,” she said, refocusing, “This is the plan? Fly me up to your… what do you call it… pod? Flock? Whatever― And just… have me take a look around to see what’s out of place?” </span>
</p><p class="p1"><em> <span class="s1">// A vague affirmative overlaid with the disorientating sensation of looking down at her own face looking up and clearly </span> </em> <span class="s1">seeing</span> <em> <span class="s1">. </span> </em></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just thinking out loud here, but wouldn’t it be more helpful to do this with someone who, I don’t know, actually knows what it’s supposed to look like?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>// A garbled concept of empty sands, completely devoid of life.</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fair enough,” she said. “But how still can you hold once we get there? Because I don’t fancy getting thrown around in here like a flying squirrel while I’m trying to look.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">// A single cloud, suspended effortlessly in the air. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Promises, promises,” Donna grumbled. “Do you have a name, by the way? I’m Donna.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">// A confused concept of many, many lives, woven together like a great tapestry of existence, indistinguishable at the individual level. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“…Right… I’m going to call you Fluffy. That’s a good name for a cloud, I think.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">// A general lack of comprehension. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t worry about it, Fluffy. How much longer till we’re there?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was one great swoop, like a plane losing altitude, and then a sudden, crushing pressure for forty-three seconds. The creature leveled off just as suddenly, hovering. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Showtime?” she asked, angling around toward what she was pretty sure was the front. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In response, the mouth opened, letting in a frigid blast of air. Donna barely noticed, distracted by the impossible sight of giant, Lovecraftian creatures, the rough shape and size of thunderclouds, moving like great hulking whales. They didn’t quite fit together; like they’d been cobbled out of parts not meant to be combined. And they were everywhere― as far as the eye could see. One was close enough for her to make out a row of milky white eyes, reminiscent of deep sea fish that had never seen sunlight. Tentacles trailed just outside of the masses, like jellyfish. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna stared at the sea of nightmares and genuinely didn’t know what she was going to do. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The TARDIS tumbled inside the creature, tossing her inhabitants off their feet. There was a long, heavy silence, and they stared out the open doors at the dark flesh of an impossibly large mouth. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The TARDIS trilled, warbling a confused query. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctors looked at each other. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I didn’t say anything.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I didn’t either.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The TARDIS ground out another, less patient question. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They glanced at Rose who was still gaping at the doors. She turned wide eyes on them. “…What?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Did you ask the TARDIS something?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No― is that seriously what you’re thinking about right now? Dunno if you’ve noticed, but I think we’ve been eaten!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The TARDIS started up a series of blips and whirs, tracing lights around the room. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you all right?” the Doctor asked, reaching for the central column.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She gave him a sharp shock and a mental nudge to <em>focus</em>.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Focus on what?” the duplicate asked, equally confused. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The TARDIS made a sound like hot air being forced through pipes and they all three clamped hands over their ears.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s wrong with her?” Rose shouted above the racket. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How should I know?!” the Doctors answered in unison. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The shrill cut off, refocusing, and there was another sharp shock, catching the Time Lord. He jumped back and she immediately shocked him again, driving him toward the door. “What’s gotten into you?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Does she want you to go out there?” Rose asked with the tone of someone taking a wild guess.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The shocks cut off, replaced by a warm vibrato.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” the Doctor shouted, “Why?!?” He yelped as the railing shocked him. “Fine. Fine! I’m going!” He stalked the rest of the way to the door, glaring, and poked his head out. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well?” Rose called. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How should I―“ He yelped as the frame delivered a final shock, sending him tumbling out. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Doctor!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uncalled for,” he grumbled, feeling every inch of slimy sensation in his exposed hands and knees. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">An unexpected mental nudge nearly sent him sprawling again. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What? What?!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His duplicate appeared in the doorway with Rose. “What are you―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Shh!” He bent down, flattening his palms, and received a muddled wave of concepts. “Oh, they’re telepathic!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>What</em> are―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Shhh!!” he cut Rose off, bending down again, ignoring the disgusted objections from the peanut gallery. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">// A rift in the atmosphere, felt but not seen. A fruitless search for something beyond the available senses. A beacon of blue appearing. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course I can help,” he said, patting the disgusting palate. “You could have just asked.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">// A jumbled impression of something brassy and sharp. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ah,” he said, “I see you’ve figured out how to talk to Donna, then. Could you point her out, perhaps?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">// General confusion. No concept of direction or relativity. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Right… Well, can you at least keep from eating her while we work this out?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">// Distaste. Disgust. Indigestion.</span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh, yes. Quite,” he said. “Now then― let’s see about this rift.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be looking for, but she was pretty sure that the sky monsters already knew what they looked like so she should stop staring. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was remarkably hard to stop staring.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Another beast floated by, blinking milky eyes the size of paddling pools and she fought down a shudder, reminding herself that it wasn’t their fault they looked like that. And her kidnapper/ride could almost definitely feel every thought, even if it didn’t quite translate.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No offense, Fluffy.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">// A vague acknowledgement, unclear on the purpose. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She tried to focus through the jumbled, blurring masses, looking for any variation in the colors beyond. What had looked like oddly-moving clouds from the surface looked like a glitch in reality up close. The shapes blurred and jumped, like they weren’t quite tied to the right plane. Looking for something out-of-place was a bit like looking for a needle in a pile of needles while tripping on acid. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Something flashed, like light refracting off metal and she pointed before remembering that was probably the least helpful thing she could do. She tried to orient them clearly in her mind and was rewarded with the disconcerting sensation of being swallowed once more. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The beast moved, hopefully in the right direction, and then stopped again, reopening. A nearby creature had its mouth open, revealing a gaping hole held together by web-like shreds of flesh. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna forced her eyes away, and willed herself not to sick up. It took another few minutes to focus on anything else, and a few minutes more to see another glint. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The beast carried her closer, repeating the process twice more. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When they finally managed to get up close, Donna found herself wishing she’d already sicked up. It was a crack in space, dragging in light and distorting it into something awful and ominous. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She could barely look at it, swamped by wave after wave of vertigo.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The beast offered to close its mouth, but she begged it not to― more afraid of losing sight of it. She had the terrible feeling that it would lash out the moment they looked away. Memories slotted together in the back of her mind, painting a horrifying picture. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, that’s… That is very, very bad…” she curled lower in the mouth, instinctively seeking shelter and it sent a confusing wave of what was probably supposed to be comfort.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Do you―“ She swallowed, trying again. “Do you have any way of speaking to the others? Can you get one of them to look for the blue box I left on the shore?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">// Tendrils reaching out, passing concepts. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s good,” she said, bracing herself on her elbows. “Now listen carefully…” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The sky beast seemed to know where it was going, in spite of having no clear concept of locations or relative space. The Doctor sat in the TARDIS doorway, dangling his bare feet out to maintain contact. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I think it’s taking us to Donna,” he called back to his double where he was stationed by the monitors. “Either that or some sort of… precipice? Bit unclear…” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Can you have a precipice in the sky?” Rose wondered, sounding a bit more worried than usual. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Guess we’re going to find out,” the metacrisis Doctor mused. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Right on cue, the beast lurched to a stop, opening to the lower stratosphere. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Bit cold!” the Doctor yelped, but leaned forward, looking around. “Now what have we― Oh!” His voice jumped up and dropped down. “Ohhh,” he groaned, “That’s… very bad…” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His duplicate jumped up, wrenching the screens around and then bounding over. “Is that―?!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A malformed rift,” the Doctor confirmed, unable to take his eyes off it. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I can’t see it,” his duplicate said, crouching next to the Time Lord. “These stupid human eyes― I can feel it though. In my teeth.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Feel what?” Rose asked, coming up next to them. “What’s out there?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s a rift,” the part-human Doctor explained. “Like in Cardiff. But it’s gone wrong; been wrenched out of alignment. It’ll… it’ll consume this planet and everything in this system. It already has, really. They just don’t realize it yet.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, okay, how do we stop it?” Rose asked, peering around and starting to feel a bit unsettled by the total lack of anything registering to her senses. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The duplicate Doctor looked up at her with an ancient look ill-fitted for his features. “There’s only one option,” he said.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Time Lord shifted, gripping the doorway in white knuckles. “Not quite accurate,” he said in a low voice. “Right now there are two options.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor stared at the gaping wound in reality, letting the cold realization seep into his bones. The TARDIS thrummed under his hands, trying to comfort. The unwitting ghost of the skies gurgled under his feet, not understanding. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There’s only one way to close the gap,” he said to no one in particular. “It’ll need to be shut from the inside by something that’s enough of a complicated event in time and space to counter it.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” Rose said, sounding too upset to have not understood. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll do it,” the duplicate said, and then paused. “I can’t see it though. I’ll need you to show me.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor scoffed faintly. “I’m not going to show you the way to your death.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose stepped closer, catching his warm hand in a tight grip. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’ll have to,” the metacrisis Doctor said grimly. “You said it yourself; there’s no other way.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There’s one other way,” the Doctor said mildly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No,” the duplicate snapped. “Absolutely not.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” Rose asked, already knowing she wasn’t going to like the answer. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He thinks he’s going to go,” the metacrisis Doctor said with a hollow voice. “But he can’t. Not while there’s a perfectly good spare right here.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose was already pulling him into a hug. “But you can’t!” She reached down, clutching the Doctor’s shoulder in the doorway. “Neither of you can!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The mouth shifted under the Doctor’s feet, trying to relay comfort without clearly understanding the concept. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s okay,” he said, “I’ve lived a very long life.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">// A gentle correction. The sense of a relay. Concepts passed between tendrils, originating at a source with translation difficulties.</span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He frowned faintly. “What?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">// A greeting, in reverse. The concept of farewell, lacking the temporal anchor to make sense of it. </span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” he asked again. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What is it?” Rose asked. “Does it have an idea?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shook his head. “No, it’s― I think it’s trying to relay something it doesn’t quite understand. But―“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The slow-moving, cloud-like miasma shifted, and one shape moved forward, opening its mouth like a whale shark. Or a tornado. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, don’t!” The Doctor jumped up, nearly slipping. “Tell it to get back! It’s too close! It won’t work for just anyone― it’ll die for nothing!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The tongue rolled under his feet, relaying a second-hand reassurance.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The beast nearest the rift extended one long, looping tentacle, and the Doctor recognized the redhead clutched in it just a moment too late. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>No!</em>” he shouted. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">// Goodbye.</span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The sky split open, with a sharp crack that reverberated through every bone and sinew. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. One Last Trip (Part 3)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor was thrown back into the TARDIS, with the temporal backlash hitting his teeth like a hammer. His vision swam, greying out, and his organs all lurched under the strain. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He struggled up onto his arms, and realized the spinning sensation wasn’t entirely internal. The world flashed by outside the open doors, sickeningly sharp and swirling too quickly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh,” his duplicate groaned somewhere nearby, and he glanced over to find Rose sitting up next to him, staring.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Was that―“ She looked over at the Doctor with eyes that could swallow the moon. “Was that Donna?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor fisted his hands in his hair and curled in on himself until his bones creaked under the strain. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Some disjointed, unending amount of time later, the Doctor registered arms around him, and the faint scent of Rose. Another body was pressed against his back, somehow both more and less familiar.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Think you might want to get up?” Rose asked gently, stroking careful fingers through the short hairs at the back of his head. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He burrowed further into himself, trying to squeeze the sensation out of his limbs. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“OK,” she said. “We’ll stay here.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A long-fingered hand pressed against his back, warm and unwelcome, but the Doctor just curled tighter and willed himself numb. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Time skipped forward in fits and starts, not quite enough to let him go. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Eventually his own voice sighed from behind him. “You can’t stay here forever.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She was going to leave,” the Doctor said, bleakly. “I should have just let her leave.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She didn’t want to go,” Rose reminded him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He fisted his hands tighter. “She’s dead because of me.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His own voice sighed. “She wanted to help. She’d have thought it was worth it. Come on, let’s go to our room.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He found himself pried upright and frogmarched into his bedroom where two human bodies curled around him and eventually dropped off to sleep. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor stayed awake, watching a distant tentacle unfurl over and over again behind his eyes. The muzzily translated concept of a goodbye looped like a broken record in his mind. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Once the humans were sufficiently comatose, the Doctor extracted himself with less difficulty than usual. He headed back to the control room with vague intentions to verify the rift’s closure. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And his best friend’s death. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The TARDIS whirred gently under his hands, helping him find the right sequence, and landing with more care than usual. He stepped out onto technicolor sands and looked up. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was no discoloration; no sign that anything had once been amiss. Birds sang in the trees and faint movements registered in the water. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The cloudy shapes moved smoothly in the sky, no longer twisted into a nightmarish mess. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Life was restored, no longer skewed out of sync by the rift.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor tipped his head back and saw nothing. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna had never had any particularly detailed thoughts on how she’d feel about bungee jumping through a black hole, but having a new experience under her belt, she could now confidently say she was not a fan. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She bobbed faintly in the unstable grip, trying once again not to be sick.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The tentacle around her middle remained tight, uncomfortably so, but considering that it was the only thing holding her anything like upright, she was willing to give it some leeway.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Did it work?” she asked, bent nearly double, like a rag doll. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>// Confirmation, relayed weakly, as though whispered through a long, dark tunnel. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fluffy, you don’t sound so good,” she said, ironically, considering she couldn’t seem to lift her head to manage it. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>// An even fainter echo. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Can we go back down?” she asked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Warm sand brushed her feet in response. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh,” she said, “Sorry. Must have missed that.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The tentacle set her down, trying for gentle, and managing not to crush her organs. More than they already seemed to be crushed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is it just me or does your entire body feel like it’s been stuffed full of hot coals and broken glass?” she groaned, keeping a hand on the tendril to maintain communication.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>// A second-hand concept of unravelling. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m sorry,” she said, feeling tears slip down her cheeks into her hair, “I couldn’t have done it without your help.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>// Skies filled with clouds, untainted and unburdened. A sense of gratitude too great for one body to contain. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah,” she said, “Me too.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A vague, foggy shape settled over her as she drifted off.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor wandered down the coastline without any goal or intention aside from not standing still. The warm sand shifted under his feet, providing minimum resistance, and the beach seemed to stretch on forever. No end in sight. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Perfect for wandering aimlessly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He kept his eyes fixed on the skies, tracing the cloudy creatures in their slow-moving dance. The bright sky was unblemished, unfractured. Just endless, vibrant colors, stretched between horizons. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He walked for hours, wondering occasionally how long it would be before his duplicate came looking. But the groaning arrival of the TARDIS never sounded and he kept going. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He nearly tripped onto the creature lying in the sand, having taken it for a hill until he was right on top of it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was hardly subtle― roughly the size of a blue whale, and cloaked in a foggy layer that coated the ground like early-morning mist. He realized which one it must be, a memory of a distant tendril unfurling in his mind’s eye. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">An uncharitable urge to just leave it was quickly squashed. He was still the Doctor, after all. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He picked his way up to what he felt was most likely the head, trying to avoid the more solid tendrils tangled under the thick, cloudy cover. He found a row of eyes blinking blearily upwards, not quite focused. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He pressed a hand in just above one, searching for a solid connection. “Can I help?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>// A faint flicker of recognition. His own voice echoing through relays. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah,” he confirmed, “That’s me. Tell me how I can help. Are you in pain?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>// The comforting serenity of mist evaporating in sunlight. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You don’t have to,” he said. “I can help. Just tell me how.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>// An echo of a foreign concept. Something sharp and tender. A farewell. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor stared, numb to the world, as the cloudy overlay settled and peacefully dispersed, leaving a mess of flesh that looked less like a whale and more like a giant, unraveling brain. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor sighed, looking it over, and then froze. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tucked between tentacles, there was a tangle of red hair. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna, Donna, Donna, <em>Donna</em>!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna felt vaguely annoyed that she wasn’t even allowed to die in peace. She tried to work her mouth open to tell that annoying alien to either help or bugger off, but she couldn’t be sure that she managed it. Everything felt vague and disconnected.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>Donna!</em>”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Except for a certain irritating voice, piercing through her comfortable haze. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She tried to reach for the source, but her arms didn’t seem to be any more connected than anything else. Like the nerves had all been severed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She wanted to be more put off, but the nerves connecting her ability to care seemed to be cut off as well.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, no, no, you have to keep breathing. Donna, you have to breathe!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Bossy alien. Always something with him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She tried to do it, just to shut him up, but her chest was too full of dark, sharp things to fit anything else. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Something cool pressed onto her mouth and air forced its way into her lungs. Uncomfortable. She tried to turn away, because he shouldn't have to watch her fail, but she didn’t have the strength. The pressure eased off and then returned, forcing more air in. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A wheezing, groaning sound joined the panting, and she dropped off again.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna woke to the TARDIS singing low and sweet, grating like nails on a chalkboard on her overstimulated senses. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She groaned faintly, trying to talk her into knocking it off without having to actually form a thought, and suddenly there were cold hands clamped onto her face. And her neck. And her shoulders. And her cheeks. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">God, how many spare hands did that weirdo have? </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“G’way,” she groaned, or tried to. It came out as a sort of gurgle. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Something sharp and barking started up and something cool pressed into her forehead, her cheeks, her eyelids. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Geroff,” she tried again and finally managed to crack an eye open, immediately regretting it. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” the Doctor’s voice filtered into hearing and the lights dimmed. She cracked the other eye open, trying to work out… well, anything. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Whu?” she croaked. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re awake!” The Doctor’s pointy face shoved into view, too close to focus. Far too many teeth flashed far too brightly for her overworked senses. “Oh that is brilliant! You are <em>brilliant</em>!” He shoved his face in, pressing a smacking kiss to her forehead, laughing like a maniac. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She batted blearily at what she was pretty sure was his arm, trying unsuccessfully to get enough air to think anything like clearly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Water?” she managed to creak. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Water? Water! Course. Course you can have― hang on―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a flurry of movement and a small bulb pressed against her mouth. She sucked in a mouthful and immediately gulped down two more. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Easy!” the Doctor chided, pulling it back, “Not too fast!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thirsty,” she said, and was allowed two more mouthfuls, emptying the bulb. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You can have more in a minute,” he said, in spite of her frustrated whine. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Bossy,” she grumbled, and forced her eyes open to glare, not sure when she’d closed them. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I am a doctor, you know.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re not a real doctor,” she managed, looking around for another bulb. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He barked out a laugh. “<em>That’s</em> your first full sentence?!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She tried for a smirk. “What happened?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His cheery expression evaporated. “You nearly got yourself killed. Would have, in fact, if the rather large native species weren’t naturally cloaked in a compressed layer of restorative gasses. They kept you alive just long enough for me to get to you.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She had a vague memory of a cloud settling around her, sharing its last hold on life. “…Did you see…?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He breathed out a long-suffering sigh. “I was too late; I couldn’t save them. But they died peacefully, without regret.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Two fat tears rolled past her temples into her hair. “Yeah, I think they knew what it would cost.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But you! What were you thinking!?” The Doctor sat up, like he’d only just remembered he was, in fact, furious. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I knew what you’d do, so I did it first.” She tried to shrug, but couldn’t be sure she managed it. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor gaped at her. “You could have died!!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She didn’t so much as flinch. “So could you.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You can’t trade your life for mine! That’s― You― You can’t <em>ever </em>do that!” He jumped up, voice rising. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Tough,” she said, barely able to force the air out. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He gaped at her, indignant and disbelieving. “Is that― How can you―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She took in a breath to continue, too quickly, and passed out again. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When Donna came to the second time, the Doctor beamed down at her, looking much calmer. “Hello there,” he said.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He pressed one hand to her forehead, warm and gentle. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ah.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hi,” she croaked. “…Water?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He produced another bulb, holding it up with the same practiced motion. “Not too fast,” he warned. But let her finish it. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why do I feel like I got dragged through a black hole backwards?” she asked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s a mystery,” he said, drily. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is the TARDIS mad at me too? Shouldn’t some magic space mumbo jumbo have rerouted my nerves by now?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The magic space mumbo jumbo is working on it,” he said, “But even magic space mumbo jumbo has a little trouble knitting tissue back together when it was ripped through eleven dimensions and should by all rights be scattered unrecognizably across the cosmos.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Excuses, excuses,” she grumbled, trying to work out how to get a proper look around. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You really should have died,” he said.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna looked over, startled. “Well, sorry to disappoint everyone. I’ll be sure to put in more effort next time.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor scowled, looking much more like the original. “It’s not a joke. You nearly unmade yourself. And after all your grandstanding.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She laughed, sharp and bitter. “It’s not the same.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, it’s much worse!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s my life!” she reminded him. Or possibly told him for the first time― it was getting hard to keep straight. “I’m allowed to use it or throw it away however I see fit!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He sucked in a sharp breath and then puffed it right back out, visibly losing the will. “I was going to do it. I wouldn’t have let him.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, that’s no better,” she said, reaching for his hand. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course it’d be better,” he argued. “The last Time Lord weighed against a cheap copy with a human lifespan? No contest.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna’s grip spasmed around his. “Don’t talk like that.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No?” he challenged. “Who’s example do you think I’m following, his or yours?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She summoned every ounce of will to hook her arm up, pulling him down into an awkward hug. “Don’t argue with me right now. I almost died.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He didn’t dare push away, and she took full advantage. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Recovery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As soon as Donna could stay awake for more than 30 minutes at a stretch, she managed to convince the TARDIS to let her move to her room. She hobbled over to her bed and sank in with a delighted sigh, petting the mattress and thinking of all the poetic ways she loved the ship.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The TARDIS hummed, pleased, and set the ceiling to a hologram of the Aurora Borealis.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The soft tinkling song in her ears was rudely interrupted by the Doctor slamming in a few minutes later. “What are you doing in here? How did you get out of the medbay? You can’t leave the medbay! I’m taking you back to the medbay right now!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oi, stop barking ‘medbay’ at me; you sound like a loon!” Donna batted vaguely at the hands that started to reach for her. “I want to stay here! It’s nicer here!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He scowled. “You need constant monitoring! Your body was exposed to a vacuum for who knows how long and that flying mass of gray matter was hardly a board-approved treatment!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So monitor me in here! It’s all the TARDIS anyway.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You can’t be on your own. What if something happens that doesn’t register correctly? There isn’t exactly a standard scan for humans who’ve partially regenerated and fallen through an unstable rift!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna scrubbed her hands over her eyes, trying to ward off a headache. “I can’t just sit in the medbay all day with nothing to do and nothing to look at. I’ll go mad!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor huffed around some more and then spun and dragged a chair up to the bed, flopping into it. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna blinked at him. “What are you doing?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He crossed his arms. “What does it look like? Monitoring you.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She frowned. “What, you’re just gonna sit there and stare at me?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shrugged. “Guess so.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She shifted, suddenly very aware of their last actual conversation. “Listen…” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He cut her off, blurting, “You can’t go home right now. It’s not safe!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna gave him a sideways look, not quite sure how to address that without having to address everything. She decided to ignore both. “Well, I’m not moving from this bed. So you might as well get comfortable.” She inclined her head toward the other side, as open an offer as she was willing to make. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor seemed to suspect it was some sort of trap, but he was too much of a sucker for cuddling to turn it down flat. In fits and starts, he angled his way around, starting to sit. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Shoes,” she reminded.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He jumped slightly, like a nervous bird, but took the shoes off, sitting up against the headboard. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So…” Donna sighed, trying to remember how to make small talk. “Read any good books lately?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She both felt and heard his head jerk down, staring suspiciously. “You’ve never asked me that before. Are you disoriented?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She pushed the heels of her hands into her eyes and just left them there. “I’m just trying to make conversation.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a long pause and then a baffled, “I read seven books on isometric conversions this morning…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna didn’t know whether to laugh or groan so she ended up splitting the difference. “Never mind. Are there movies or something we could watch?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“…I think I have a documentary on quokkas that I’ve been using to level a frame…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, not― I don’t know why I’m even talking to you. TARDIS, sweetheart, can you pull up some normal movie for normal people who like normal things?” There was a meditative whir and then a screen clicked out of the ceiling showing some dashing man halfway out of a billowy shirt. “Perfect!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You want to watch a movie about pirates?” the Doctor asked, thoroughly bewildered. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Apparently!” She settled back, propping herself up on the pillows. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">“This really is one of the least historically accurate things I’ve ever seen,” the Doctor commented. For the fifth time.</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m not watching it for the historical accuracy, am I?” Donna reminded him, not bothering to look over. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The on-screen lead seemed to be carrying piles of rope back and forth across the screen for exactly no reason. “Is there a plot? Shouldn’t there be a plot by now?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, the plot is, ‘I’m watching this movie so shush.’” Donna tried to talk the TARDIS into giving her popcorn only to once again get the sound of popcorn popping without the actual popped corn. She sighed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A few minutes later, there was a quiet knock and then Rose and the metacrisis Doctor appeared in the doorway, holding popcorn and looking very confused. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I think the TARDIS wanted us to bring this to you?” Rose said, holding up the popcorn. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, perfect!” Donna waved her in. “I thought she just didn’t understand what I was asking.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What are you doing in here?” the metacrisis Doctor asked, bringing his own bowl over like an acolyte. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>I’m</em> watching a movie and the <em>Doctor</em> is seeing how many useless questions he can interrupt with before I strangle him,” Donna answered cheerily. “The current count is somewhere around 28.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“They’re not useless! This movie makes no sense!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose finally spotted the screen and let out a whistle. “Oh, I get it. Room for two more?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, you did bring an offering,” Donna said, budging up. She pointed a finger at the metacrisis Doctor. “Tell me you got my superior taste in cinema.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He grinned. “Not only that― I know where the TARDIS found this movie. It’s from the 51st century and there’s a whole series.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna whooped, sweeping her arm in a welcoming gesture and he clamored in, jostling the Doctor over. Donna grabbed a handful of popcorn and settled back in, chewing loudly enough to cover the Doctor’s indignant grumbling. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They worked out an odd sort of system over the next few days where Donna was never allowed to be alone and somehow that seemed to translate to everyone hanging out in her room like a pack of stray dogs. It was nice, but a bit maddening, considering that the other three wandered in and out freely, but Donna was never allowed a moment alone. </span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The closest she got was when Rose stayed on her own. It was rare, considering that she and the metacrisis Doctor seemed to be under the impression that they might die if they went more than 30 seconds without touching each other. But </span> <span class="s1">the Doctors did occasionally distract each other, wandering off to moon over cables or whatever it was they did. </span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose was easy-going company, happy to watch a film or have a nap or just lounge around chatting about whatever silly thing popped into either of their heads. She was rarely the one to bring up the Doctor, seemingly happy to follow Donna’s casual avoidance of that topic for now. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So it was a bit of a surprise when she turned to Donna in the middle of a serial about redesigning shuttles and unceremoniously asked, “Are you gonna leave?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">For a moment, Donna thought she meant the bed, and looked around the wrinkled sheets for some spill or whatever she might have overlooked. She turned back to Rose and found her looking much more serious than an overturned jam jar would warrant. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh,” she said, realizing, “You mean…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah. I mean.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna took a deep breath in and let it slowly out. “I <em>should</em> go,” she admitted.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose didn’t say anything, just staring at her with wide doe eyes.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna found herself explaining almost against her will. “He’ll never see me as an equal, just something to be protected. Like a child. Or a pet.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose flinched ever-so-slightly, and Donna said, “Sorry,” but couldn’t think of anything else to add.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, I… I know what you mean. I didn’t realize until the, um, the new Doctor― the more human one… He looks at me like we’re the same… now…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna nodded and tried not to think about the lonely alien standing waist deep in water, all too aware that he was the last of his kind. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s infuriating,” Donna mused, “Like shouting at a hurricane. And knowing it could understand you if it just bothered to listen.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose nodded with the reluctant air of someone who didn’t want to know what she knew to be true. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But he would have died if I hadn’t been there on this last trip.” Donna was oddly sure of it. She couldn’t remember all the details, but she suspected that Fluffy had traded their life for hers in the end. She couldn’t have banked on the Doctor’s guide making the same call. Or being able to, with his weird alien biology. “What sort of rubbish is that? A storm that can die.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose quirked an unsteady smile that didn’t reach her eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna sighed. “I think I’m too much of a coward to leave. Even if he might just casually shoo me out the door someday and call it a mercy. Even if he’d more than likely take my memories to keep me from coming back. I don’t think I could just leave, knowing I could still help.” Frustrated tears welled and she forced them back down, swallowing.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t think that’s called being a coward,” Rose said, “...I think it might be called ‘love.’” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna swallowed again. “It’s rubbish is what it is.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose smiled, warm and gentle. “It is a bit.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It took the better part of a week for Donna to finally get a window of unsupervised time and she immediately used her freedom to totter into the room with all the chairs and accidentally fall asleep in one of the loungers. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She woke up in motion, being carted back to the medical bay in an awkward carry. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor glanced down and immediately launched into a rant. “No more warnings! I’m putting a medical tracker in you!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She squirmed around, trying unsuccessfully to get her legs loose, and only earning herself a tighter grip. “Calm down, you lunatic. I was napping, not base-jumping.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re not supposed to wander off!” he continued like he hadn’t even heard her. “You could have called any of the three of us! Whoever you want, but no―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What about Gramps?” she interrupted.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stuttered to a stop. “What?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m well enough to move now,” she pointed out. “I could stay with Gramps. Convalescent and retired lifestyles line up pretty well, I’d imagine.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He gave her a stiff look down his cheek. “You want to go home?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She squinted and then suddenly realized. “Oh. Um. I meant for a visit.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He jerked his head down to look at her properly. “Just a visit?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She kicked her legs. “Put me down.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Contrarily, he gripped her closer. “Why?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Because I’m not having this conversation with you carrying me!” she snapped. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Miraculously, he put her down. “What conversation?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It turns out I do not, in fact, want to leave,” she said, refusing to look at him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His head snapped down, staring. “What?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t think I can give it up― Being able to help. It’s… I guess it’s worth the risk.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His features went blank. “So…?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So you win!” she snapped. “This is you winning! Let’s just travel around, making terrible choices!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor ducked down, forcing eye contact. “But you said― Is that your plan? Just be terrified of me and we both pretend we don’t know?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna threw out her hands, exasperated, “Guess so!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But you―“ He blinked, turning that over in his mind. “You wouldn’t leave. You’d stay.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah,” she said, crossing her arms, “It turns out I’m this kind of coward. Guess I should thank you for helping me realize.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He frowned. “So you’d stay, but you’d still be afraid of me.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She shrugged, eyes fixed on the wall. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She crossed her arms even tighter and mumbled, “I might love you. A bit.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor went completely still. “I―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She shoved an authoritative finger in his face. “And don’t start in with the whole ‘I don’t do that’ thing, because I already know all that and I didn’t ask you! I’ve got my own thing going on and I don’t need you doing or saying anything, I just can’t―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I love you too,” he interrupted loudly.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna’s jaw snapped shut. “What?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I… love you…?” he said, much more quietly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?! Oh for―” She slapped a hand over her eyes, pinching the space between her brows. “OK, I get it. You mean like a friend. Or like family. But for the record, <em>I</em> mean―“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, I mean this,” the Doctor cut her off and ducked down, nudging her hand to the side and catching her mouth with his. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna’s mouth was awkwardly open, mid-sentence, and her hand was still up, and it was still the sweetest kiss she could even imagine. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor cupped her jaw in cool, gentle fingers and pressed his lips to hers at just the right angle, with just a bit too much force, and it was, in a word, perfect.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He pulled back just far enough to ask, “All right?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna nodded, already leaning back in. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His lips curled in a tight, awkward smile, not at all helpful for kissing, but even that was wonderful. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, this is new,” the metacrisis Doctor drawled, stepping out of the library. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They jumped apart, spinning around. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What are you doing sneaking up on people?!” Donna blustered. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You mean walking through the main hallway in the middle of the day cycle?” He smirked, looking entirely too much like their actual offspring. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Precisely that,” the Doctor said, groping around for the nearest door. “See that it doesn’t happen again!” He found a handle, wrenched it open, and bundled Donna inside. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The metacrisis Doctor hollered something about putting a tie on the doorknob, but the Doctor decided to deal with <em>all of that</em> later. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He turned around to find Donna gawking at him, standing in her own room. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Er,” he said, “Sorry. Picked a door at random. Of course I don’t think―“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna yanked him down by the back of the neck with one hand, the other fumbling at his tie. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She pulled back just far enough to ask, “You <em>can</em> do this, right?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“If we’re thinking of the same thing then oh, yes.” He rocked his hips into hers, feeling recklessly bold. “And if we’re thinking of different things then I anticipate a very awkward conversation in our near future. For which I apologize in advance.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna hooked a knee around his, forcing him to stoop a bit and adding some very interesting alignment to make up for the stretch.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor groaned, shuffling them back until her knees hit the bed. “You’re rested well enough for this, aren’t you? Because we don’t have to― Ahh!” he cut off with a sharp cry as Donna yanked him forward by the belt, one hand working lower. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just had a nap, as it happens,” she said. “Feeling quite rested.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He yanked her top off, pushing her back and crowding them both up toward the headboard in a messy tangle of limbs and lips.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor hooked two fingers in the center of her bra, and paused, pulling back. “I wouldn’t erase your memories,” he blurted. “Not knowing― Not now that you’ve said.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She blinked and jerked back to look at him properly. “What?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I was going to tell you before. But I, um, got a bit distracted.” His eyes dropped to her mouth and then down to her chest, and then dragged back up to her eyes.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She blinked again, forcing herself to focus. “You don’t have to say that just to―“ She cut off, brows slamming together. “I already said―“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t want you giving your life for mine, but I’d do the same so it’s a bit of a standoff, isn’t it,” he interrupted, sounding intolerably rational for someone with trousers halfway down his hips and his fingers hooked in her bra. “You couldn’t take my memories though, and I don’t want you worrying if I would. I won’t.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She stared at him, looking for any sign of deception or angling, and found only the usual desperate sincerity. “I’ve already said I'll stay.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know,” he said simply. “But I don’t want you to be afraid of me. I wouldn’t― You’ve asked me not to. I won’t.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna looked at him and felt a surge of affection so raw it hurt. “Oh, God,” she said, horrified, “I really do love you.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor frowned at her tone and then registered the words, grinning like a madman. “Donna Noble, I love you too.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They had to reemerge after a couple of hours to hydrate and replenish, mainly because the Doctor refused to shut up about Donna having technically almost died six days prior. They snuck through the hallway without incident, ducking into the galley, and promptly ran into Rose and the metacrisis Doctor, camped out in the far booth. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They immediately started a slow clap. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, bravo!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Finally!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Look at that hair!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And the robes! 10/10!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh my God,” Donna groaned, covering her face. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, we heard!” Rose piped up, laughing.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Better keep an eye on those electrolytes,” the metacrisis Doctor called. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ohh, there are so many people in my ship,” the Doctor groaned, pulling Donna toward the refrigerator. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rose turned to the metacrisis Doctor. “We should swing by and pick up Jack. He’s going to love this!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The half-human Doctor hooted, jumping up. “Let’s go right now! While they’re too slow to stop us!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor jerked around. “No! Absolutely not―“ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They were already out the door, crashing down the hallway. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Do not bring Jack Harkness onto this ship!” he shouted.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A faint chorus of laughter was the only response. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m going to have to lock everyone out of the system settings,” the Doctor groaned. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeahhh,” Donna drawled, reaching for a banana, “I might have already overridden your ability to do that to me. And the other Doctor might have already taught Rose half the sequences.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She shrugged, “Well, they’ve been shagging for days now. I’d imagine they ran out of things to talk about.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>What?!?!</em>”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She squinted at him. “Did you really not know?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But he― But I―“ The Doctor flailed around, pointing. “That means Rose has seen me naked!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Donna scoffed, “Who hasn’t?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Donna!! Rose saw me naked before you did!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She cocked her head. “If we’re counting the metacrisis then <em>technically…</em>”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The TARDIS lurched slightly, taking flight.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“OK, that’s <em>it</em>! No more partial regenerations from here on out. It’s a logistical nightmare!” The Doctor threw back his tea, snatched a banana off the counter and headed for the control room. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Give ‘em hell,” Donna called lazily, hunting for something with protein. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The Doctor reappeared in the doorway, looking indignant. “Aren’t you coming?!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She gave him a look over one shoulder. “Why would <em>I</em> mind having Jack on board?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>Donna!</em>”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The ship rumbled again, landing. Exactly ninety-eight seconds later a booming American voice drawled, “Well, hell-<em>o</em>, Doctor.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Change of plans,” the Doctor said, snatching up various provisions and dragging Donna back toward the door. “Campout in your room.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I’m also on <a href="https://1-of-those-things.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a>.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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